


Just for Ourselves

by elcall



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Characters Tagged As They Appear, Gen, How Do I Tag, No shipping, Platonic Relationships, basically a what if mankai shut down and where would everyone be without it, dont worry they'll still cross paths, theyll just be sad, year 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elcall/pseuds/elcall
Summary: A3 AU where Izumi was late to show up and Sakyo tore down the company. Here's what happens to all the members without the troupe that gave them all a purpose, a family.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru & Citron, Furuichi Sakyo & Ikaruga Misumi, Furuichi Sakyo & Matsukawa Isuke, Hyoudou Juuza & Sakisaka Muku, Minagi Tsuzuru & Ikaruga Misumi, Miyoshi Kazunari & Fushimi Omi, Miyoshi Kazunari & Ikaruga Misumi, Nanao Taichi & Takatoo Tasuku, Sakuma Sakuya & Usui Masumi, Settsu Banri & Hyoudou Juuza, Settsu Banri & Sakuma Sakuya, Settsu Banri & Usui Masumi, Usui Masumi & Miyoshi Kazunari
Comments: 65
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first fic to be posted on AO3. I'm excited and also lost, hopefully this goes well. (I wasn't listening to Just for Myself when I was writing this, nope-)

"Do it, Sakoda." 

A large bright yellow backhoe stood in front of the crumbling theater building. 

Just as the man in the purple leopard print jacket maneuvered the machine, loud footsteps and panting came down from the sidewalk. 

“Please don’t do it!” A sloppy looking man ran up to the yakuza in command. 

The man glanced over the newcomer, then back at Ken Sakoda. “But just the sign. I’m turning the building into a bar.” 

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me!” the sloppy man cried out. “Please, Furuichi-san, don’t do it!” 

Sakyo Furuichi turned to the unruly haired man. “I said I’d repurpose the place if you couldn’t pay off the debt.” 

“We’re about to start a show!” Isuke Matsukawa called, “If we can make some money, I can at least pay off some interest!”

Sakyo considered the man's words. “Sakoda, stop.” 

“Aye aye, sir!” 

Sakyo grabbed Matsukawa, wrapping his arm around the other’s shoulder. “Matsukawa.” 

“Y-Yes sir?” 

“How many presale tickets sold?” 

“Z-Zero sir!” 

“Day of tickets sold?” 

“Still zero, sir!” 

“When’s the show?” 

“In three minutes, sir!” 

Sakyo was silent. 

Matsukawa let out a weak laugh.

Sakyo let go of him, turning away. “Sakoda, you’ve got this.” 

Matuskawa grabbed onto Sakyo’s coat, dragging along as Sakyo walked away. “Wait, please! It’s our new member’s debut show!” 

Sakyo glanced down at him, “What?” 

“No actor would ever forget their debut show! How sad would it be to tear down the theater right before their debut show!” Matsukawa said. 

“You have zero audience,” Sakyo said. “You call that a show?”

Matuskawa had no words. 

Sakyo turned his head away, “Demolition time.” 

“No! Please!” Matsukawa begged. “Just watch his show! His hard work can convince you!” 

“Hard work?” Sakyo repeated. “You think this is some place where kids can show off how hard they’ve worked? This is a place where professionals are paid to entertain.” 

“Y-Yes, but…” 

“In this world, just working hard doesn’t do the damn trick!” 

Matsukawa stared with wide eyes. 

The front doors of the theater opened up, and a pink haired teen stepped out, staring at the scene. “Manager? What’s going on out here?” 

Sakyo glanced at the teen, then turned around. “End of discussion. This troupe’s going to be shut down.” 

The pink haired teen’s eyes went wide. “What? Wait, please!”

Sakyo stopped. 

“Um… we really won’t have this place anymore?” 

“Yes,” Sakyo replied. 

“But I just joined yesterday!” The teen cried, “I’m still no good at acting, but I love theater! Please don’t tear this place down!” 

Sakyo turned his head over his shoulder, “Tough luck.” 

The boy gasped, “No way…” He looked down at his feet. “The show must go on,” he mumbled. “Please wait!” He tried again. “I beg you, I need this place!” 

“I’ve already decided,” Sakyo said. 

“I won’t let you!” Matsukawa cried again. “I have to protect this place at all costs!” 

“Matsukawa, I’ve given you more than enough chances,” Sakyo said bluntly. 

“But…” Matsukawa trailed off. 

“There’s no more room for negotiation.” 

“T-There’s still a possibility things will turn upward!” Matsukawa said. 

“Not a chance,” Sakyo said. 

Matsukawa hung his head, “If only Yukio-san returned to make it like the old days.” 

“Sakoda,” Sakyo said a final time. 

Sakodo startled awake from his snoring. “Wh- sir?”

Sakyo looked from the building, to Matsukawa, to the single teen. “Do it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumi checks out the theater and Sakyo gets to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to roll this chapter out so that you can get a feel for what this fic is trying to achieve...

“This should be the right place…” A woman with long brown hair stood in front of an old building. Izumi Tachibana looked up from the poorly made flyer in her hands. “This building looks like it has a long history… really.” It looked very… historic… old maybe? Oh, who was she kidding, the building looked like it was falling apart! 

She stared at the top of the building, where it was bare. There was a shape of a crest on the building, where there was a noticeable color difference between the outside paint and whatever was sitting over it. It looked like a sign was taken down after years. The word “theater” was also noticeable on the gold banner over the entrance of the theater. For some reason, the actual letters were gone. 

A dog barked as someone walked by with their pet, causing Izumi to clutch the flyer close to her, startled. 

There was a performance at the theater today, according to the flyer, at least. But there was no one around. She also may have spotted clumps of tumbleweed in the vicinity. If she came all this way and it was some sort of prank… well, she wouldn’t be too happy. 

Izumi cast her gaze down to the envelope in her hands, addressed to a Yukio Tachibana. “Dad…” she muttered. Matsukawa Isuka is the name of the sender. Whoever they were, they addressed the letter to her dad. She wondered what his relation was to her dad, did they know him? Did they work together? 

There was no one around, save for that one passerby, but they were long gone now. This was supposed to be the Mankai Theater that her father had received an invitation to, but there seemed to be no theater. 

Izumi noticed a white paper posted at the front door, so she went up to it to read it. The troupe would shut down and the building would be redesigned into a bar. Her eyes widened at the news. 

“Dad…” she said softly to herself. “Your troupe… has shut down. What would you think?” 

Dejected and disappointed, Izumi held the flyer close to her as she wandered off, alone.

**~0~**  
**Earlier...**

Sakyo watched as the backhoe tore down the peeling red MANKAI letters. They each fell to the ground loudly.

Matsukawa and the pink haired teen stood on the other side of the backhoe, watching wordlessly as Sakoda took down the theater crest and words as Sakyo instructed earlier.

Sakoda pulled the arm of the backhoe in after all the pieces were off the building.

“Call the others and tell them to clean this mess up,” Sakyo said to Sakoda.

“Aye aye, sir!” Sakoda responded, already dialing on his phone.

Sakyo turned to the other two. “I’ll give you two the night to clean out whatever you need from the dorms.”

“The dorms too?” Matsukawa cried.

“Of course,” Sakyo glared. “I’ll make it a regular dorm.”

“But! Where will we go?” Matsukawa gasped.

“I don’t care,” Sakyo retorted.

The teen played with his hands. “I guess I’ll just go back… to where I was…”

“I can’t!” Matsukawa shouted, “I don’t have any other place! I don’t have another job!”

Sakyo regarded the man with a side glance. He sighed, "I might need a dorm caretaker in the future."

Matsukawa perked, "Really! Thank you so much, Furuichi-san!"

Sakyo closed his eyes, then regarded the boy. "Once I get the dorms cleaned and running, you're free to come back."

"Ah, thank you sir…" he replied.

The boy still looked distressed, but there was nothing else Sakyo could do about it now. Sakyo simply nodded. "Then, I'll come by tomorrow morning."

"Sir yes sir!" Matsukawa saluted.

Sakyo slapped the side of the backhoe. "Sakoda! Back out!"

"You got it, bossman!"

Sakoda guided the large machine away from the newly destroyed theater site and back. Sakyo went back to his car and drove off. In their wake, left a disheartened Sakuya Sakuma.

**~0~**

After returning to the dorms, Sakuya took off to his room without a word to pack what little he even had brought.

When Matsukawa invited him to dinner, the boy refused, so he left him be, going to tidy things around the dorm.

In the morning, Sakuya came down for breakfast, bringing down with him his bag of things. If his eyes seemed a little red, Matsukawa didn't comment on them.

"Sakuya-kun! Good morning!"

"Good morning, mana- uh, Matsukawa-san," Sakuya said.

Matsukawa laughed nervously, "Ah… I'm not a manager anymore, am I?" He shook his head. "I'm… sorry, Sakuya-kun."

"It's okay," Sakuya replied quietly.

"The company has been struggling for so long," Matsukawa said, taking out two bowls, "I thought I could bring it back but… after all I know nothing about directing." He put milk on the table and a cereal box. "I'm sorry I roped you into this mess. You don't deserve to deal with this with me."

Sakuya poured his cereal into his bowl. "I wish I could do something."

Matsukawa shook his head. "Without a director to guide us for plays… I'm sadly useless."

Sakuya just nodded, beginning to eat his breakfast quietly.

Matsukawa followed his lead and they ate their meals in silence.

At 8 am sharp, Sakyo entered the Mankai dorm building with Sakoda trailing behind, finding Matsukawa and Sakuya cleaning up from breakfast. Behind him, came a crew of people, who began clearing out the living room immediately.

"Furuichi-san!" Matsukawa gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Clearing out all the garbage," Sakyo said, turning to watch some men pull out one of the couches. "Hope you're all packed up kid," he said to Sakuya, "it's time to go."

Sakuya nodded, taking his bag. "Yes, sir."

Sakyo gave the boy a once over when he hesitated. "Don't fret, and you'll find another theater to be a part of."

Sakuya just nodded at him with his eyes downcast. "Okay. Goodbye, Matsukawa-san. Thank you for taking care of me these few days."

Matsukawa stiffened, "It, It was my pleasure!"

Sakuya turned and stepped out of the dorm.

Sakyo looked at Matsukawa, "Since you're employed by me now, get to work. This common area is in good shape, surprisingly, but I'll have a cleaning crew come through the entire building." He walked to the window near the courtyard. "Then I'll need some landscaping done too, huh?"

"What should I do?" Matsukawa asked.

"Gather the old theater things that are around and put them all in the storage. I'll figure out what we'll do with it later," Sakyo instructed.

“Yes sir,” Matsukawa responded.

Before the former manager could take off, one of Sakyo’s men entered the room. “Furuichi-san, there’s… uh, well there’s something in one of the rooms upstairs.”

Sakyo frowned, “Then clean it out.”

The man shook his head, “No, it’s not like that… It looks like someone’s living there.”

“What?” Sakyo frowned. He looked at Matsukawa. “Is there someone else living here?”

Matsukawa shook his head. “No!” He paused. “Unless, you’re talking about room 203?”

The man nodded.

Matsukawa went pale. “Room 203… it’s bad news.”

“Bad news?” Sakyo scowled.

“Well, sometimes you can hear a mysterious voice coming from the room, even though no one’s in it,” Matsukawa explained.

Sakyo rolled his eyes. “There’s clearly someone living in there.”

Matsukawa shook his head, “No way! I’ve been staying away from that room for years!”

Sakyo huffed and marched out of the room to go to the second floor. Matsukawa scurried behind him.

“You opened the room?” Matsukawa cried out in panic. “What if there was a burglar in there?”

Sakyo ignored him and stood at the doorway to peer inside. It was full of things that were… triangles. There was also a bed with a messy cover, which backed up the idea that someone was occupying the room. “Get it all out of here,” Sakyo told the man.

Just as he said that, a figure jumped into the room from the window with a call. “Triangles!”

Sakyo and Matsukawa gaped at the boy.

“Onigiri are a wonder!” The mysterious boy said to himself, carrying an armful of items.

“Huh?” Sakyo gasped.

The boy looked up, noticing the two men. “You guys want some triangles too?” he asked.

Sakyo frowned, “Oi, who are you?”

“Me? I’m Misumi Ikaruga!”

“What’s all this trash? How long have you been here?” Sakyo interrogated.

“It’s not trash!” Misumi said, “It’s my treasure! I just started collecting my triangles!”

“How did you even get in? I lock every door at night!” Matsukawa said.

“The window was open, so I just came in!” Misumi explained.

Matsukawa gasped, “This is the second floor!”

“Yeah, I just climbed in!”

Sakyo glared at the sloppy man, “What kind of security did you have running here?”

Matsukawa laughed nervously. “I-I’ll go call the cops! We have an unlawful break-in here!”

Misumi became rigid, “You won’t take my triangles!” He jumped, racing towards the exit.

Sakyo grabbed the boy before he could leave and held him.

Misumi twisted, struggling to get out of his grasp.

“Stop,” Sakyo said. “We won’t call the cops.”

“We won’t?” Matsukawa repeated.

“No,” Sakyo glared at Matsukawa, who shut up at the look.

Misumi eased his struggles, “Then what do you want?”

“Why are you living here?” Sakyo asked.

“I got nowhere else to go,” Misumi said.

“How old are you?”

“I’m 19!”

Sakyo grunted, then released the boy who immediately jumped back to stand on his own.

“What are you doing, yakuza-san?” Misumi asked.

Sakyo regarded the teen. “I’m cleaning out the dorm. We’re going to make it a general dorm.”

“Huh?” Misumi blinked. “But isn’t this a theater dorm?”

“Was,” Sakyo corrected. “The troupe’s shut down.”

Misumi’s eyes widened but he was silent.

“Kid, you go to school?” Sakyo asked.

“No…” Misumi answered.

“What do you do all day?”

“I look for triangles.” Misumi answered again.

“Hm,” Sakyo hummed. “You wanna job kid?”

“Huh?” Matsukawa broke his silence. “You want to give him a job?”

Misumi paused. “I don’t want to work.”

“Well, you gotta survive somehow,” Sakyo retorted. “I’ll pay you, and you can keep this room.”

Misumi straightened a little. “Are there triangles? Can I have onigiri?”

Sakyo raised an eyebrow. “If you can find a triangle, then you can have it. As for onigiri, it can be done.”

“Deal!” Misumi replied immediately.

Sakyo smirked, “Good. You can start helping after lunch.” He turned to Matsukawa, “Forget cleaning, your first task is to get us onigiri for lunch.”

“Y-Yes sir!”

“Yay! Onigiri!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misumi's take on recent events.

Misumi Ikaruga got his onigiri, like he requested. And then, Sakyo worked him to the bone. It’s not like Misumi minded much, it gave him something to do during the day rather than go around aimlessly searching for his favorite shape.

Misumi was put to work helping clean the dorms. Sakyo guided him through the building and lectured him on things that he should keep an eye on, such as the condition of the flooring and rooms. He even climbed onto the roof to check the state of the tiling and report it Sakyo waiting on the ground.

After working through the day, Sakyo gave Misumi his number and told him to contact him if there was anything wrong. He would come back the next day with contractors to fix up things.

And so he did, and Misumi worked with the man to supervise the work. A week after partnering with Sakyo, the man let Misumi watch over the work by himself as the older man went to deal with other business.

Two weeks of work later, Sakyo handed him an envelope. “Here’s your wage.”

Misumi stared at it.

Sakyo frowned and pushed it into his hands. “What? Did you think I wasn’t going to pay you?”

Misumi slowly blinked at the man. “I thought… I could keep the triangles and have onigiri?”

Sakyo scowled, “Huh? Of course you can have them, I have no use for triangles. I’m paying you for the work, too. Plus, it doesn’t look good on me if you’re working for me and don’t get paid.”

“Oh,” Misumi said. He gripped the envelope. “Thanks, Sakyo!”

Sakyo huffed, then patted his head. “Don’t start slacking now.”

After that, Misumi and Sakyo worked to finish up renovating the dorms.

Matsukawa was also around helping out where he could. He guided them to spots where he knew needed work.

Two more weeks later and another envelope of money found the dorm finally complete and ready to be reinhabited.

Sakyo had also given Misumi’s room an upgrade, getting him some triangular furniture, at his request, to keep in the room.

The night that Misumi was back in his new room, he couldn’t sleep. So, he took a trip out onto the roof, sitting and staring at the moon. Even though the moon was round, he could appreciate its beauty.

His thoughts wandered to his grandfather. Before his passing, the man had taught Misumi acting. He told Misumi about the Mankai Company and its history. Because of that, Misumi came to the abandoned dorm to live in after his passing. What he didn’t expect, however, was to be found and given work.

The news of the troupe being shut down shocked him. In the back of his mind, it hurt. It hurt to think that the precious troupe that his grandfather spoke so lovingly of, was gone for good.

A breath escaped him. He didn’t have a real plan for his future, but who knows what could have happened? He figured that Sakyo giving him a job was a good thing to happen.

A mewl reached his ears and he looked down, finding some kittens crying up at him.

Misumi smiled and leaped down to the ground smoothly to land in front of the felines. He crouched before them, petting them as they purred under his touch.

“Nya~” he meowed to them. _Hi guys!_

They mewled back. _You’ve been gone all day!_

“Nyaa~ nya,” Misumi said again. _I was working!_

_What’s working?_

Misumi paused. Then answered, _It’s when you do things… for a reason._

 _Ohh_ , the kittens mewled.

Misumi smiled. _Yup! Sakyo looks tough but really, his heart is like a triangle!_

_We wanna meet him!_

_Okay!_ Misumi agreed, _I’ll try to bring him around to you guys sometime._

Misumi chatted with them a bit longer, before leaving them to go home and went back to his own room.

He lay in the new mattress and stared up at the ceiling. It was pretty bare. He should find some triangle stickers or a poster with triangles to put up there. He shook his head and turned to the side. With everything that had suddenly happened in his life, he hoped things would go well. Along with that, Misumi just hoped that his grandpa was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda short... I wrote up the next chapter, but then I thought that I should probably write up a little of Misumi's perspective; so here it is before the next one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuru makes some life decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuru!! He's my best boi!! <3 <3 I love him so much uwu

Tsuzuru Minagi had already been down on Veludo Way 4 times this month, and it was only the third week. He was trying to find his own place, or more preferably, a theater troupe to join. He wanted to be a playwright. But with no experience… there weren’t many opportunities. 

Well, today made it the 5th time Tsuzuru strolled the streets in the area. Along the way, he obviously ran into and watched an uncountable amount of street acts. The levels of those acts varied, the best of them being by members of the God Troupe, but they all motivated and encouraged Tsuzuru even more to write plays. 

One of the first plays he watched was of two members of the God Troupe, when he came across a woman standing with a man with a pained expression. Him and the lady concerned themselves with the condition of the man, until another young man came and played out their scene to finally reveal that it was a street act. 

To say the least, Tsuzuru was fully entrapped in their act, feeling that it was real and not even realizing it was an act in the moment. It amazed him how even the actors were able to create their own impromptu scripts at a moment’s notice. Especially since the first man had to play around the concerns of his and the woman’s. 

He asked the troupe if they were open, and more importantly, had dorm space, but they didn’t. Even if he did get into the troupe, he wouldn’t have a home. 

He sighed, drawing out of his thoughts and looking around where he was. He figured that he should check the bulletin boards once again. There, he scanned the many posters, finding restaurant coupons and discounts, part time job offers (he copied some of those down), and some of the same old theater ads that were there before. 

Tsuzuru shook his head in disappointment. Another bust search. 

A man came up to the bulletin board beside him, sticking a poster on a clear spot. Tsuzuru leaned around the blond top of hair to read it. 

“Dorms?” Tsuzuru read out loud in surprise. 

The man pulled back to stare at Tsuzuru. “‘S right! Ya interested, kid?” 

Tsuzuru hummed. “I am looking for a place… but I was hoping for a theater troupe.”

The man’s face fell. “Sorry, we ain’t a troupe. Just a dorm.” He pointed to the poster, “Take the number if you’re interested!” 

Tsuzuru nodded, “Alright. I’ll think about it. Thanks.” 

“No probs! See ya!” With that, the man sauntered off. 

Tsuzuru wrote down the number and took off to go back home. He really didn’t know if he wanted to move into a place without a troupe yet… but he would keep it in mind. 

**~0~**

The beginning of the new month found Tsuzuru moving into the Hanabira dorms. Apparently it had been newly renovated so they were looking for new residents and was offering a fair price, that Tsuzuru ultimately succumbed to. 

He was also able to strike a small deal with the landlord, Furuichi Sakyo, which really sweetened the deal. With a place of residence, he could open up his troupe options some more. Rather than looking for troupes with dorming, he was free to go anywhere accessible. 

Thus were the reasons he took the deal and was moving in. 

Tsuzuru Minagi entered the dorm, a bag slung over his shoulder. He would be bringing his other things later in the day. He spotted a teen sitting in front of the coffee table in front of the tv with a puzzle spread out. “Hello,” Tsuzuru said, approaching him. 

The boy turned to him. "Hi! You're Tsuzuru aren't you? I'm Ikaruga Misumi!" 

Tsuzuru nodded, approaching the other. "Yes, I’m Minagi Tsuzuru. Nice to meet you, Ikaruga-san." 

"Call me Misumi!" 

"Okay, Misumi-san." 

Misumi grinned. "Sakyo told me you were coming today! You can take any of the rooms we have. I'm in room 203 upstairs, but we also have room downstairs! Matsukawa-san is the caretaker who lives here too!” 

Tsuzuru took in the information, “Okay. Is there anyone else here?” 

Misumi shook his head, “Nope! It’s just us right now! But Sakyo is going to get more people, for sure!” 

Tsuzuru nodded, “Okay cool.” 

“Sakyo told me to tell you that you can choose any room you want,” Misumi said. 

“Oh,” Tsuzuru blinked, “Then, I’ll just take the first room on the first floor, if that’s okay.” 

“That’s fine with me!” 

“Great. My brothers will be coming to help me move in later, just to let you know,” Tsuzuru said. 

“Oohh,” Misumi cooed, “that sounds fun!” 

Tsuzuru smiled. 

“Are you in university?” Misumi asked. 

“Yeah, I go to Yosei,” Tsuzuru answered. “Are you in school?” 

Misumi shook his head. “Nope! I devote myself to finding triangles!" 

"Uh, triangles?" Tsuzuru blinked. 

"Yup!" Misumi lifted up a puzzle piece, which was in the shape of a triangle. "Tri-Tri-Triangles!" 

"O-Oh…" 

Misumi grinned. "What do you do?" 

"Me? I'm studying film, I want to be a playwright," Tsuzuru said. 

"Oohh," Misumi cooed again, "That's cool! Did you know this was a troupe dorm?" 

"What?" Tsuzuru snapped, shocked. 

Misumi nodded, "Mhm! But then Sakyo shut it down, or something! I was living in my room when he came and cleaned up!" 

"This was a theater troupe? And Furuichi-san shut it down?" Tsuzuru asked, eyebrows furrowed. 

“That’s basically what I heard!” Misumi said. 

“How did you get involved?” Tsuzuru asked with a frown. 

“Sakyo said I would get triangles and onigiri!” 

“Oh… kay…” Tsuzuru muttered. “But knowing that this was a troupe before… well that’s upsetting, because to be honest, I was looking to join one.” He frowned. 

A door slammed, startling both teenagers. Matsukawa had shut the door loudly, after hearing Tsuzuru speak. “You were looking for a troupe?” he shouted. 

Tsuzuru flinched back. “Uh, yeah I was…” 

“When?” Matsukawa stomped over to be face to face with him. 

“Like, the beginning of the month? I guess?” Tsuzuru answered, feeling awkward.

“No way!” The man suddenly wailed, falling backwards and onto the ground in despair. 

“Woah! Are you okay?” Tsuzuru scrambled up as the man sobbed on the ground. “What’s going on?” 

“This used to be the Mankai Company dorms,” Matsukawa said, sitting up, tears streaming down his face. “I was the manager, Matsukawa Isuke. But, the company has been going downhill for about eight years, falling into debt with Furuichi Sakyo-san, he lent the company money. We couldn’t pay it off, so he shut it down.” 

Tsuzuru processed the information. “So this was the dorm building of the troupe?” 

“That’s right,” Matsukawa said. “But Furuichi-san shut it down just this month because of all the debt it wracked up." 

Tsuzuru pulled away. "I see." 

Matsukawa nodded, "It's a real tragedy, considering how successful the Mankai Company was back in the old days." He sighed, dejected, "If only we could have found people like you and Misumi-kun, then maybe the troupe could have breathed life again…" 

Tsuzuru pursed his lips. "I'll… I'm just going to go find my room…" 

Matsukawa blinked as Tsuzuru found his way out of the common area quickly. "Huh?" 

Misumi stared in confusion too. He shook his head, "His mind is twisting like a triangle now!" 

"What?" Matsukawa turned to Misumi, confused by his words. 

Outside, Tsuzuru walked along the path, his mind crowded with thoughts. This place used to be a troupe. Of all the places he could find, it was an abandoned troupe. He almost laughed at his luck. 

Instead, he scanned the doors lining the brick walls and approached the leftmost one on the bottom floor. It would just be easiest to get in and out of. 

He opened the door and entered. It was clean and empty. Tsuzuru closed the door behind him, leaving him in the dark, light only seeping in from the window. 

He sighed. He leaned against the wall beside the door and slid down to the ground. Just as he was feeling positive about finding a place to live, he was hit with the feeling of missed opportunity. If only he had started looking sooner… then he could have found this troupe and… and… 

Well he didn't know what. Other than what Matsukawa just told him, he had no idea about the company. 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and gave the company a web search. 

"Mankai Company…" he mumbled to himself, pulling up the first link of the apparently official company site. A poorly designed website appeared and Tsuzuru cringed. Yeah, they couldn't have been that good. He hit the gallery page to look at what kinds of plays they had. 

He froze. 

There were pictures of people on a stage, dressed in well made costumes. Various people in different costumes. Some on stage, some backstage, some even off the theater totally. But what struck him wasn’t how they were dressed, but how it felt like he was standing in their presence and was watching them. They held an energy around them that drew Tsuzuru in. 

He scrolled through the few pictures there, feeling amazement fill him. He went back to the search, trying to find out more about the company. 

And then he realized. Matsukawa said the company had basically died 8 years ago. After reading the article about the downfall of the company, it made sense. Because their director had disappeared suddenly, the company could never recover. He filled in the rest from what he was told; the company asked Furuichi-san for loans which they could never recover to pay back, and because of that, the company shut down. 

Tsuzuru sighed again, turning off his phone and dropping it into his lap, letting his arms hang limply beside him in the dark. 

His mind whirled wildly. If their company had been able to find a new director, then they would have had the chance to live again. But judging by the website, it didn’t look like they got anyone else to replace their missing director. It seemed like Matsukawa was the last one left and he didn’t seem too competent, judging by how he had just broken down. 

Even so, he just couldn’t drop the fact that he had missed a chance. If all of this happened on the same day that he had first been scouting in the area, he would feel awful. His stomach churned; he pushed down the feeling of nausea. 

He choked out a snort at the irony instead, what luck he had to have missed a possibly great opportunity. 

Before he could pity himself anymore, his phone began to ring. He lifted his head and looked at it; it was his brother, Kaoru. 

"Hey," he answered. "Yeah, I got a room. You guys coming now?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Checking what our puppy pair are up to!

Kazunari Miyoshi was out in the park, his cell phone out, camera app open, and finger on the snap button. It was a nice day out, and Kazunari decided it was a good day to get some new photos for his instablam account. The park he went to had a nice lake, man made as it was, yet he thought it looked nice enough for a background of his current selfie. 

He snapped one swiftly and brought the device back down to inspect the image. His smile was wide, maybe too wide, and his eyes looked hollow. 

Kazunari quickly deleted it.

He didn’t want to see himself like that. It wasn’t good enough to show others, either.

He tried his best to keep friends. That was partially why he was out in the park that day. Some people that he followed on instablam were posting their own pics of being out in the nice weather, so he decided to join in on the small trend. 

Whatever he could do that people liked, he would do it.

Deciding to do a retake, he struck a smile and snapped the picture, waiting for the screen to click. 

Not a moment later, he heard a shutter click; it clearly wasn’t from his own device, so Kazunari lowered his device and looked around. 

There was a tall man standing a few feet away from him, a large professional camera in his hands, pointed at Kazunari and poised to take a picture. 

Kazunari blinked in confusion. 

The man lowered his camera and stared back at Kazunari. “Oh!” he said, approaching, “I’m sorry, I took a picture of you while you were taking a selfie…” 

Kazunari smiled at the giant, “No probs, my dude!”

“You just looked collected and calm, so I couldn’t help myself,” he said. 

Kazunari laughed, “Sweet! I didn’t know I gave off that impression! I take selfies a lot. Mind if I see it?” 

The man shook his head. He pressed a few buttons on the camera then held it over to Kazunari. 

Kazunari took a look. The setting behind his figure looked great, the day was clear and it seemed to get more of the scenario than his selfie did. The angle of the photo made the picture rise to another level. 

“Sweet!” Kazunari cried, “Imma snap a pic of this, you mind?” 

“No, please, go ahead,” the man answered. “I took it without permission, anyways.” 

“Don’t sweat it!” Kazunari replied, taking a picture of the picture as best he could with his phone camera. “Totally gonna post this on the ‘blam!” As he began typing out his message, he tossed a look at the tall man. “What’s your name? Gotta instablam I can tag?” 

“Uh, no, I don’t,” he answered. “My name is Fushimi Omi.” 

“Omimi! Nice to meetcha!” Kazunari winked. “I’m Miyoshi Kazunari!” 

Omi blinked at the nickname. “Omimi…?” 

Kazunari grinned, “Yup! I give people nicknames. Do you mind?” 

Omi paused, but shook his head, “No, it’s fine. Nice to meet you, Miyoshi-san.” 

Kazunari looked at him, “So what are you taking pics for?” 

“Just for fun,” Omi said. “I’m in the photography club in my university.” 

“Oh, really? Where do you go? I’m at Fuyou.” 

“Yosei,” Omi answered. 

Kazunari pouted, “Ah, sucks. It would’ve been sick to see you around campus! I guess that’s probably why I haven’t met yet, huh?” 

“Probably,” Omi smiled. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you, Miyoshi-san. See you around.” 

“‘Course man!” Kazunari waved. “See ya!” 

Omi went off on his own way, while Kazunari stayed where he was. He looked down at his phone, at the post that was still pending. His message under the photo read, _New pal Omi took a pic of me taking a pic! He’s got mad skills! Hit him up if you go to Yosei!_

Kazunari stared at his image some more. Even though he was smiling in the picture, he couldn’t feel it. It felt like he was missing something. He was… bored? In a word, at least. 

He huffed. He had to find something to devote himself to, to keep his mind at work. 

The image on his phone screen gleamed at him under the sunlight. 

“Hm…” he hummed. Photography did peak his interest enough. 

**~0~**

Taichi Nanao dreamed of being the main actor in a play. Ever since he discovered the potential of acting and popularity in elementary school, he strived for the main spotlight. He practiced and practiced, until soon enough he was able to join the God Troupe on Veludo Way. He was ready for the spotlight! For the main stage! For the admiration! 

...For the sweeping. 

_Whoop-dee-do_ , Taichi thought sarcastically, guiding the broom in his hands back and forth to guide all the dust and dirt to a pile. 

Here he was, standing on the one and only grand stage of the God Troupe, but he wasn’t doing what he ever dreamed of doing. No, he never imagined that he’d have to _sweep_ the place; especially not for _other_ actors! 

That might as well be the most depressing part of it all, the fact that he was so close yet so far from his dreams. 

He stopped sweeping for a moment and stared out at the empty seats. He could imagine the auditorium filled to the brim with people, standing room only, just to watch him act. And he, he was the star of the show. He lifted the broom in his hands, the bristles in the air as he held the handle between his hands. Perhaps he was holding a sword and would battle his costar in a battle to the death, one where he would obviously triumph! Or maybe, he dropped the broom into a different position against him, it was a large gun that he had to navigate to defeat an enemy! It could even become a staff that he would use to battle enemy ninja’s with his sick fighting moves! 

“Nanao! Quit playing around!” 

Taichi almost dropped his broom but quickly straightened it. “Yes, sir.” he replied to the supervisor of the few people that were in charge of cleaning the troupe’s stage. 

He resumed silently sweeping, dreaming of his day of being on the stage. Perhaps one day, his opportunity would come. 

After cleaning up the dust that he collected, he disposed of it in the bin in the corner. As he turned to return the broom and dustpan to the closet, he caught sight of something in the corner. Taichi went and picked up the navy water bottle. Someone must have left it there by accident. 

He took it with him as he dropped off the broom, staring at the bottle in hopes of finding a name. There wasn’t. So, he figured he’d just tell someone who could pass along the message, or maybe even know who the owner was. The manager would be a good choice, despite how rude the man was to him… 

As Taichi walked down the hallway of the theater, he suddenly ran into someone around a corner, almost dropping the bottle. 

“Woah!” he cried, the bottle flailing as he held it. “Sorry!” he said to the person in front of him after securing the bottle, then looked up, hoping it was someone nice. 

Takato Tasuku stood in his full form, not even flinching when tiny little Taichi ran into him. “It’s alright. Are you okay?” 

“Yes sir!” Taichi responded sharply.

Tasuku nodded, then his eyes went to the water bottle. “Hey, that’s my water bottle…” 

“Is it?” Taichi jumped. He shoved the bottle forward and said loudly, “Here! I found it while cleaning!” 

“Oh, thanks,” Tasuku replied, raising an eyebrow at Taichi’s hollering but took the bottle, “I have a few of them, but I was wondering where I might have left this one.” 

“No problem, sir!” Taichi replied loudly.

Tasuku glanced at him, then nodded. “Keep at it, Nanao.” 

“Huh?” Taichi froze as Tasuku patted his shoulder and walked away. 

Tasuku knew his name? That was awesome! He didn’t think that someone as popular as Tasuku in the most popular God Troupe would give him the time of the day, but it turns out that he did! He was a really nice guy! Maybe Taichi could talk to him again, if he saw him, and get some acting advice or even just talk. 

Taichi smiled wide. Well no matter what happened in the future, that just made his day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuki wants to design costumes and enter Banri.

Yuki Rurikawa couldn’t wait to get out of class. As soon as the last bell rang and class was dismissed, he was out of the building as fast as possible. 

In his rush, along with the other students that were clambering out of their classrooms, he accidently bumped into someone, dropping books to the floor. 

Yuki scrambled to pick up his things. 

“Sorry! I’m so sorry Rurikawa-san! My head is full of mush so I didn’t see you there!” 

Yuki looked up at the speaker with a deadpan. It was a kid in his grade; Sakasaki Mura, or something. “Stop yapping and get your things. It’s fine, it happens.” 

“Ah! Right!” The pink haired boy kneeled down to get his fallen books. 

Yuki simply nodded and continued on his way out of the school.

He wasn’t in a rush because he hated school or anything; no, it was just that he suddenly got struck by inspiration, in the middle of a history lesson no less, and drew out a design. He knew exactly how he wanted it to look and which fabrics he wanted to use. It was just a matter of getting some of the fabrics he was missing or running out of. 

Which is where he was going now; the fabric shop. 

As soon as he entered the shop, he was greeted. “Yuki-chan! Welcome back!” 

Yuki gave a quick wave. Most of the employees knew him by name because he came by so often for good deals. Being a student meant he had no income to support his hobby. Especially if it was too expensive. 

“We have some new items on sale in the back!” the attendant said, as if reading his mind. 

“Perfect,” Yuki called back, navigating his way to the back to find the said discounted items. Hopefully he could find something to match the image he had in mind for his design.

He also had a goal in mind. What was his goal? 

Well, he wanted to work for the God Troupe. 

But before he offered his work to them, he wanted to get some samples of his work done so that they could see his quality of work. He was sure that he could get top quality designs under his belt to show off and be a part of their troupe in design. 

Yuki found a fabric that was cheap enough and that would work well with his design. He purchased it, and went home quickly to get to work. 

**~0~**

On the other side of the city was Hanasaki High. Lurking around the campus was a teen living life in easy mode. 

Banri Settsu was always looking for a thrill. Being great at everything meant that he could do anything without breaking a sweat, which made everything all the more boring. 

He spent his days loitering around, looking for something to satisfy him. Around him were some other class ditchers, but unlike him, they were probably failing and didn’t care. He didn’t associate himself with them, they just hung around where he was. 

“Hey,” one of the guys said to another, “I hear Juza Hyodo gave the top dog at Yama High a beatdown.” 

“That guy again?” 

Banri raised an eyebrow at them. “Who the hell is that?” 

“Some punk at O high,” he answered. “Been makin’ waves since middle school.”

“Yeah, real loner type,” the other said. “Lone wolf? Izzat the word?”

“Huh,” Banri hummed. O High was walking distance from Hanasaki High. It wouldn’t take him too long to get there. I mean, he had nothing else to do, so why not go claim his spot at the top? 

“You leavin’ Banri?” One of them asked as he stood. 

Banri turned away, “Gonna go on a quick hunt.” 

“Wait, for real?”

“Never know what you’re thinkin’, Banri.”

Banri walked away. School should be out soon, by the time he made it to O High, he calculated. When he made it, sure enough, there were groups of teens walking out. He waited at the side, watching for whoever this Hyodo Juza guy was. Banri was pretty good at finding people, like all things else, so he didn’t worry. 

Sure enough, some mean looking tall guy with slicked back hair walked out of the building. There, he looked like the right guy. No one was around him, solidifying the loner type thing he heard. 

Banri immediately went to the guy and swung his arm. 

“...Huh?” 

Banri couldn’t help the gasp. He was dazed, staring up at the peaceful blue sky. His back and face ached. 

“We done here?” 

Banri lifted his head to stare at the guy. He stood there, his face messed up from the first punch Banri threw, but other than that, nothing. Banri blinked in confusion. Did this guy really beat him without him even blinking?!

“Later,” he said, then turned away. 

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?!” Banri shouted. He tried to get up and give chase, but he couldn’t. The purple haired teen just walked off without a glance. 

Banri’s blood boiled. This guy was gonna get it. 

He struggled to get up, but managed to do it and then limped his way home. He’d passed people on the street who gave him strange looks. Some white haired old man sleeping on a bench even sat up to stare at him, before laying back down. Banri grit his teeth. As soon as he healed up, he would deal with this Hyodo Juza guy finally. 

**~0~**

Yuki held the folder in his hands tightly, but then released his grip. He wasn’t nervous… not that much. 

He was at the God Troupe’s building, waiting. He had asked the woman at the reception desk to see the head designer, and while she had refused, Yuki persuaded her to give in and call him. 

He had been waiting for almost an hour when someone finally arrived. A tall man with long red hair. 

“Who’s here to see me?” 

Yuki stood in front of the man, “I am.” 

The man frowned at Yuki. “A child?” He turned to the reception lady. “You called me here for a child?” The woman cowered. He snapped back to Yuki. “Listen, little boy, I am a very busy man, I do not have time to drabble with child’s play.” 

Yuki kept a plain face. “I’m not here to play. I’m here to work.” He lifted his folder, “I have a portfolio showcasing all of my works. If you can take a look you’ll be able to see that I am highly capable.” 

The man snatched the folder from him and carelessly flipped through the various pages and photos Yuki had organized. “And what of this?” 

Yuki stood his ground. “I want to work for you creating costumes for plays.” 

The man stopped and stared at him. He started laughing abruptly. “You? A child? I don’t care how good you think you are, but we do not employ children here.” He shoved the folder back at Yuki, “Go back home and play dress up with your dolls.” He spun around and stomped off. “Next time, do not bother me with these requests!” he shouted finally to the receptionist. 

Yuki grit his teeth at the rejection. 

“Go on, get out of here kid,” the lady told him coldly. 

He scowled and stared at his feet. He stomped out of the building without a word. 

His feet took him away, without him thinking about it. Thoughts and emotions swirled his mind. Anger; how dare some jerkwad just reject him like that? The guy didn’t even really look at his work. Shame; he couldn’t get work at the troupe he aimed for. Were his skills not good enough, then? Reasoning; maybe he really was too young to work. He was pretty short, so that probably made him look younger… 

Yuki finally looked up. He found himself by the river. With a sigh, he stepped off the path and sat down on the grass, overlooking the running water. He placed the folder on the ground beside him and wrapped his arms around his legs. 

Life would go on, of course. He would continue going to school and what not, but he wanted to use his skills already. 

Maybe he’d just wait for something else to come up. I mean, what else was there for him to do? 

A breeze passed, rustling his hair. The folder suddenly picked up and was floating away. Yuki quickly reached out to grab it but he barely reached it. The wind picked up and took the folder with it. Yuki jumped up and started going after it. 

But then, someone else jumped from the sidewalk and grabbed it. “Got it!” the teen called. 

Yuki ran up to him. “Thanks.” 

“No probs man!” the teen in the black fedora grinned. He peeked at the contents, then opened up the folder fully. “Woah! Did you design these? They look sick!” 

Yuki quickly snatched the folder back. “Keep your eyes on your own things.” 

“Oh, sorry…” the teen said. “But I’m serious. Those outfits look way good!” 

Yuki turned his head away. “They aren’t that good.” 

“Says who?” the teen said, “I’d wear any of those any day!” 

Yuki gave the teen a once over. Black ripped skinny jeans, a white shirt and a blue jacket on top. “Yeah, looks like you could use it,” he muttered. 

“Ouch my dude!” the teen laughed. “I’m sure you’ll do something great with your mad skills!” He glanced at his phone. “Gotta dash, but keep at it, bro!” 

Yuki stared at the strange teen as he ran off with a wave. He looked down at his folder. He flipped through it, looking at his favorite pieces. 

He was good. If that idiot at the God Troupe didn’t see it, then that’s his problem. Yuki would focus himself on creating the best things for himself. And if opportunity rose from somewhere, well, he’d think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes when I write, these characters do their own things, and some characters appear themselves. Kazunari appeared on his own, I didn't plan for him lol
> 
> Banri's part is basically just the set up from his portrait... will go further into diverging that later!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banri recovers, Sakuya is still settling himself, and the Hana high schoolers have a run in with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me some time to write this because I got stuck writing Banri's part. I got it done, but at the expense of one of the characters orz I'm sorry beforehand

Banri’s scowl was etched to his face for a few days in a row. The other guys who hung around him couldn’t believe that he lost to Hyodo.

Yeah, well he couldn’t either. 

The whole mess put a huge dump on his reputation. Those guys were shocked when Banri came back all banged up, but now they had the audacity to laugh. 

Banri leaned back against the wall, his cast hanging against his chest. He just watched the students flow out of the building. With nothing to do, and no will to attend class either, he just tried to pass time. 

He watched when students poured out of the building at dismissal time. Most of the students were walking in groups. 

There was one teen that stepped out of the building suddenly, with headphones covering his ears and his eyes on the ground. But, there was a group of girls trailing him. What was impressive, however, was how he navigated through the large cluster of people without looking up. 

Banri made a noise of being impressed. 

One of the guys near him stared at him. “Whatchya lookin’ at, Banri?” 

Banri kept his eyes on the other teen. “Who’s ‘at guy o’er there? One with the headphones?”

The guy followed his line of sight. “Hm, dark hair and blond ends? That ‘im?” 

“Yeah.” 

The guy grinned. “Well, well. That’s Masumi Usui. Only one of the most popular guys here.”

Banri raised an eyebrow. “For what?” 

“Who knows,” the guy replied. “Chicks go wild for ‘im, all I know. He ain’t as great as you!” 

Banri pursed his lips. He wanted to see what this guy was made of. Maybe he could be entertaining while he recovered. Better than the goons that hung around him now, at least. 

He pushed off the wall and started walking to the direction of the gates, where he last saw the teen walk off.

“Huh? Banri?” the guy called after him. 

Banri didn’t answer, just continuing going after the other teen. 

He stalked after the teen from a distance, watching him leave the bustling area around the campus and towards lighter populated areas. The teen found a bench in a park and sat down, messing with a phone that was connected to the headphones which he stuck back into his pocket after pressing something. 

Banri watched him from afar for a moment. He looked bored with life, and Banri could relate. He gave the teen another once over, then turned and left. Maybe he’d just keep his eye on him for a while.

**~0~**

Sakuya Sakuma huffed lightly, dropping his backpack on a bench. A breeze pleasantly brushed by, cooling him down. 

He had spent as much time as he could after school on campus, but like all days, he had to leave. Unfortunately for him tonight, he didn’t have anywhere to bunk with. He had just spent two nights at a friend’s place, which the friend had agreed to let him stay for. So now, he was thinking about his sleeping arrangements again. With a heavy heart, he thought that he’d have to haul himself back to the aunt’s home he was supposed to be living in. They certainly wouldn’t be too happy to see him…

A groan brought Sakuya out of his thoughts. Confused, seeing as people were simply walking by and no one was lingering in the area around him, he followed the noise behind the bushes near the bench and peered around them to find a man laying on the grass, asleep. 

Sakuya’s eyes widened. His eyes quickly scanned the hoodie wearing man’s body, searching for any wounds. But no, his body was steadily rising and falling. So, he wasn’t dead. 

The man groaned again, curling in on himself. Sakuya realized the man was cold. His face fell; the man was clearly homeless and it didn’t look like he had much on him other than a backpack as big as Sakuya’s own, lying nearby. 

Sakuya glanced at his own bag and suddenly remembered something. He went to it and unzipped it, fishing out a throw blanket that he had stored away. It was one that one of his relatives had given him. He could ask for another blanket; he’d probably get in trouble for “losing” it, but, if there was someone who needed it more than him, then he wanted to help. Besides, if he slept indoors, there was always heating or cooling available. He hasn’t needed to stay outdoors. 

Carefully, Sakuya creeped towards the slumbering man with the blanket open. He gently draped the blanket over the man’s feet until his shoulder where he dropped it as softly as possible. 

He backed away, zipping up his bag and tread away. He would go find somewhere to do homework before he tried getting back to his aunt’s place. 

What he didn’t notice was how the white haired man immediately sat up after he left and stared after him. The man grabbed the blanket lightly, then smiled softly to himself, falling back to sleep. 

**~0~**

Today, Masumi went to Veludo Way. He was on a pedestrian bridge that overlooked some of the long street. 

Banri leaned against the railing on the opposite end of the bridge, keeping his eye on him while looking disinterested. 

It’s been a few days since Banri has been trailing after the dark haired teen after school. He didn’t really know why he was trailing the kid, rather than just jumping him; but he figured it was to scout what the kid was like, since none of the guys who hung around him knew. 

Banri scoffed, then scoffed his feet on the concrete bridge. 

As he contemplated on what to do next, Masumi took off again. So, Banri did too. The teen just strolled down the calming street. 

Banri kept an eye on him. If he was heading home, then Banri would leave. He wasn’t so creepy as to follow some junior home. 

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard some commotion coming from one of the alleys nearby. Before he could register what was going on, Masumi had run into an alley. Banri quickly ran towards it. 

There were three big guys surrounding a teen with bright pink hair on the ground, clutching his arm. He was wearing the same grey blazer as him and Masumi, and his backpack was on the ground beside. Masumi stood in between the thugs and the teen. 

“Yo, yo, what’s goin’ on here?!” Banri shouted. Despite his casted arm and other bruises, he was sure he could take them on. 

The thugs turned to him. 

“More puny kids, ha?” The one in the middle scowled. He clenched his fists, “Just shaddup and give us your money!” 

One of the other thugs got in front of Banri. 

Banri stared at him hard. “Some losers like ya’ll outta finda job rather than mug _fuckin_ ’ high schoolers.” 

“Wha’s that?” The one in front of him shouted, grabbing him by the collar. 

Banri narrowed his eyes, nonchalantly. “‘Mma warn you. Touch me and you’ll regret it more than the cops.” 

“‘Zatta threat punk?! Just ‘cuz you gotta cast don’t mean I ain’t ‘friad to hit ya!” He shouted again, and reeled his arm back for a punch. 

“Officers, over here!” 

“ _Shit_! Cops already?” 

The thug dropped Banri and scurried away with the other two. 

Banri spun around to see the man who called out. A tall man with long silver hair. “Thanks…” 

The man smiled sadly. “People like them shouldn’t bother kids like you. You should be careful if you already have injuries, too.”

“Ah… yeah,” Banri said. “Well, I’m out of here before the cops get here.” 

“Actually, that was a ruse. I didn’t have time to call them, so I figured it would be enough to get them away,” the man said. 

Banri whistled. “Wow. That’s slick.”

The stranger went to the pink haired kid. “Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” 

The small teen shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I just bumped the wall when I backed up.” The man helped him gather his backpack up. He looked at Masumi, who was walking away now. “U-Um, thank you, Masumi-kun!” 

Banri raised an eyebrow, surprised to see that the teen knew Masumi. 

Masumi actually stopped. 

“A-And you too,” the pink haired teen looked at Banri. “I don’t know your name… but your uniform…” 

“Ah,” Banri shrugged. Some goody two-shoe looking teen like him wouldn’t know him. “Banri Settsu’s the name.” 

“Thank you, Banri-kun!” 

“Sure thing.” 

“You,” Masumi said, looking at Banri. 

“Huh?” 

“...Stop following me already.” 

Banri’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but he laughed instead. He’d be more worried if the guy hadn’t noticed him following him. “Sure thing,” he said again. 

The man stood up. “You boys get home safe, alright? I’ll go file this with the police.” 

Masumi was already walking out of the alley.

Banri trailed him, and the pink haired teen exited it quickly after. Banri eyed him. “Hey, what year are you, anyways?” 

“Me?” The pink haired teen turned to him in surprise. “I’m a third year.” 

“Huh,” Banri said. “So am I.” 

“Really?” The teen gasped. “I’ve never seen you around, though!” 

“I don’t come to class often,” Banri answered. “Well, whatever. See ya.” 

“My- My name is Sakuya Sakuma!” He called out. 

Banri glanced at him over his shoulder. “Peace, Sakuya.” With a wave of his good hand, he left. 

Sakuya smiled softly, then hustled on his own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry Sakuya he's angel and just struggling fehuaifka 
> 
> I was asked about the rookies and... well I'm following the English server so I don't know them right now... It would probably make a lot more sense to have characters like Kumon around but I don't wanna spoil the story for me right now orz So maybe when the next parts come out I'll rewrite this story to fit the new characters! Thanks for understanding :)
> 
> Also! If there's a combination that you want to see, let me know! For example, Muku and Juza. Which will happen, obviously. But if there's some odd pair you want to see that aren't normally together but could legitimately come across each other.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catching up with the cousins!

Muku Sakisaka couldn’t wait to get out of class. It was finally the end of the week and he had scored some tickets to a God Troupe play. He was so excited to see it. Lately, plays and theater had peaked his interest, so he was going to try to watch as many as he could! With consideration to his budget and other expenses like his mangas… 

But with the track club not doing anything particularly important that day, he scheduled the ticket ahead of time. He figured that he’d start with one of the best plays in town to start watching. 

He didn’t have enough confidence to ask any of his friends to join him, so he was going to go alone. But, he was sure to make the most of this outing. 

After class ended, Muku took his time getting out of class, only restraining himself because there were a few hours until the show began. He went home, changed outfits, and went out to buy a crepe for a snack on his way to the theater. 

With enough time, he made it to the theater and found his seat somewhere in the middle off to the side in the theater. It was kind of far from the stage, but he didn’t mind. The theater was slowly filling up with other audience members coming in groups and chatting. Some people in a group sat to the right of him, but the seats on his other side were still open. He doubted they were unsold seats; the owners of the seats were probably still on their way.

To pass time until the lights dimmed, Muku read the play brochure. The play was about a son and his father who were at odds because the son didn’t want to keep the music legacy in the family like the father wanted. Muku’s eyes sparkled as he read that there was a slight romance aspect to the story. 

While he was indulged in imagining the story, a deep voice interrupted him. 

“‘Scuse me.” 

Muku looked up to see a familiar face. Deep purple hair and slim golden eyes. “J-Juchan?” Muku gasped. 

Juza looked just as surprised. He was holding a ticket in his hand and standing in front of the seat besides him. 

Muku’s wide eyes stared at the frozen giant. “A-Are you here to watch the play too?” He stopped. “Oh, I mean, duh- of course you are, why else would you be this deep in the theater? It’s not like you got lost after getting a ticket and finding the entrance and--”

“Yeah,” Juza interrupted his ranting, sitting down in the plush seat. If Muku didn’t know better, it seemed like his cheeks tinged pink. “...Seemed interesting.” 

“Y-Yeah! I think so too!” Muku agreed quickly. “Did you read the pamphlet?” He shoved it at the older teen. “It seems really fun! And I mean it’s a God Troupe play too, so it’s bound to be executed amazingly!” 

Juza took the pamphlet and read it silently.

Muku clamped his mouth shut. Typical of him to overspeak, now Juza was completely uninterested. He sighed and turned his head back to the stage, waiting for the show to just start. 

“Sounds good,” Juza said, handing Muku the pamphlet back. “Do you… watch plays often?” 

Muku’s eyes brightened. “I haven’t, but I want to!” He smiled. “Do--” The lights in the theater darkened dramatically. “Oh! Looks like they’re about to start!” He quickly sat straight in his seat and got comfortable to watch the show, Juza beside him doing the same. 

**~0~**

The God Troupe’s play went on without a hitch. It was performed seamlessly. The end of the show brought a booming reception from the audience. When the two cousins finally made it out to the lobby Muku was chattering non stop about how well the characters were portrayed and how he loved how the main character and the father got along. 

Juza Hyodo tried to mentally keep up with the fast pace that Muku was speaking while also navigating them both out of the crowded theater hall. 

As they reached the doors of the exit, some members to the troupe were handing out flyers. 

A teen with bright red hair stuck a flyer out up at Juza over the crowd quickly. “Thanks for coming to the show tonight!” 

Juza just grunted and took the flyer, somewhat surprised that the teen had approached him. Also thinking that he may have seen that red hair somewhere before? But he didn’t know. 

Muku and Juza followed the flow of the crowd until they finally made it out. 

“Wow! That was so much fun, wasn’t it, Juchan?” Muku turned to his cousin with a grin. 

Juza nodded. 

“We should do it again!” Muku said. 

Juza looked at him in surprise. 

Muku gasped under his sudden glare like gaze. “I- I mean, if you want to! If you don’t want to, it’s fine too… You probably thought the show was ruined just because you were sitting beside me.” 

Juza frowned. “Didn’t say none of that.” 

“O-Oh! Course you didn’t…” Muku trailed off. 

Suddenly Juza’s stomach growled deeply. He froze, somewhat embarrassed that his hunger was obvious. The show was long, who could blame him for being hungry?

Muku turned away. “Sorry!” 

Juza raised an eyebrow. What was he apologizing for now?

He stopped, then turned to face Juza. “Wait, was that your stomach?” 

Juza turned his head. “...Maybe.”

“Oh!” Muku grinned to Juza’s surprise. “I thought you got mad at me! But if you’re hungry, don’t worry! I actually went to a crepe place before coming here, do you want to go there?” 

“Uh,” Juza blinked at the younger teen’s offer. Crepes… were sweet. His mouth watered at the thought. He simply nodded to Muku. “”’Kay.” 

Muku smiled and began leading to the small food stand where Juza ordered a strawberry and chocolate crepe. Muku, since he had already eaten a crepe, ordered a few pieces of takoyaki. 

“Yum!” Muku said after taking a bite of his snack. “How’s the crepe, Juchan?” 

“‘S good,” Juza said between quick bites. 

Muku laughed. “I’m glad to be doing this with you, Juchan! Thanks for joining me!” 

Juza stopped chewing, watching the pink haired teen for a moment. “We should… do this again. Maybe for another play nearby.” 

Muku nodded eagerly, “I agree! If you find one, send it to me and we can plan to go together!” 

Juza smiled into his crepe, resuming on eating it. 

Muku finished another one of his takoyaki balls, almost halfway through. He spotted something that made him stop. He glanced at Juza. “I’ll be right back!” 

Juza blinked at him as Muku scurried off the sidewalk to a spot by some bushes. He kneeled down and handed his tray of takoyaki to someone. He gave a wave to the white haired man behind the bush and came back to Juza. 

Juza raised an eyebrow. 

Muku laughed awkwardly, “Well… that guy is homeless so I thought that maybe he’s hungry and would appreciate some food… even though it was leftovers. Oh no! What if he thinks I was just giving him the junk I didn’t like! Or that it’s poisoned! I have to-”

Juza grabbed Muku’s arm to stop him from running off. “He wouldn’t accept it if he thought any of that.” 

Muku relaxed. “That’s right… Thanks again, Juchan!” 

Juza hummed in response. “I’ll walk you home.” 

“Okay!” Muku smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *feels bad about not having Kumon in this story* Uhh so we'll definitely be getting an "updated" story around the end of the year when the next few acts get released in English !
> 
> Juza seems a bit OOC to me, because he was kind of... getting along with Muku unlike how he usually avoids him in the beginning of his play... s..sorry
> 
> And again, let me know if there's a pair that you want to see! Tell me early so I can fit it in smoothly~ I'm trying to plan how I'm going to end this story. Predict like... at least 15 more chapters? Granted, my "chapters" are super short...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see how Omi is doing and what Masumi is up to!

Omi Fushimi was a hard worker. He did his best to channel all his efforts and energies into productive activities. That’s why one of the activities he participated in at his university was the photography club. 

It had started as a pastime, a somewhat sad one, but he grew a knack for it. The school’s club had recruited him and he decided that it might be a good way to spend his energy. 

Omi took a look out the window, seeing dark clouds full of rain rolling over the campus. He closed the windows open on his laptop screen, then stood up to pack up his bag. He turned to the members in the club room. “I’m going to head out now, before it starts pouring.” 

“Sure thing, Fushimi-san!” 

The club president looked up from his desk. “Did you send your pictures to be printed?” 

Omi nodded. “Yes, I sent them to Kira-san.” 

Ito Kira was the vice president of the club. 

“Got them,” The vice president said from his corner. “I’ll be sending them to be printed soon!” 

The club president went over to his desk, looking at the photos that Omi submitted. He smiled at Omi. “This is a great collection.” 

The vice president nodded, “Oh, I especially like this picture.” 

“Which one?” Omi asked. 

“Someone’s taking a selfie in it.” 

Omi smiled. “Ah, that one.” It was the one of the stranger he had accidentally taken a picture of. Perhaps he should try to contact Miyoshi-san to give him a copy of the photo. 

“Well, good job,” the president said. “Get home safe” 

“Thanks,” Omi gave a wave and his farewell, taking his things. 

He exited the building that the clubs were in and only made it across the courtyard when the rain started coming down heavily. Luckily, he had an umbrella on him. But, he decided to wait out the heavy downpour for a few minutes under an awning besides a bulletin board by the library. There were other students racing around the courtyard, trying to get from here to there. 

Someone ran to the shelter beside him, panting. “Ah man. I didn’t know it was going to rain today…” 

Omi gave him a sympathetic smile. He had checked the weather in the morning. Rain forecasted from now until late evening. “It’s going to be raining for a while.”

“For real?” The teen sighed, brushing off drops of rain from his brown locks of hair. “That sucks… guess I’ll go sit in the library and write for a little longer.” He stared into the sky. "Until it dies down a bit…" 

Omi nodded in agreement. He glanced down at his watch then turned to look at the bulletin to pass some time. Most posters were club socials, campus events, and course openings. 

His eyes wandered to a golden and brown decorated poster. His expression fell slightly when he read it. A play from the university theater club was coming up. 

His gaze fell. 

Theater. It was Nachi's dream to do it. 

After he had run into Nachi's parents on his anniversary and his mother told him about his dream of being an actor, Omi couldn't get it out of his head. A guy like him had no ambitions, no motivation, and was just trying to get by each day, survived and was living while someone who had a dream was gone. Omi couldn't accept it. So, he would live out Nachi's dream. 

Well, it was easier said than done. 

Omi had searched up theaters nearby, with the famous Veludo Way being close to the university, but quickly stopped his search. He felt a crushing feeling in his chest when he was looking for open casting calls. So he stopped looking. 

It's been a few days since, and he still hasn't looked again. But he would. It was just one of the things he was putting off. 

The male beside him let out a sigh, snapping Omi out of his thoughts. 

“Here I go.” 

Omi noticed the lightened downpour. “Stay dry,” Omi replied. 

The stranger gave him a nod, “Thanks, you too.” 

Omi glanced up at the sky as the stranger ran off. The rain had lightened dramatically, but continued falling. Deeming it light enough, he readied his umbrella to take off as well. He had to get home and get working on dinner for his family. With his mind set on things that could distract him, he ran through the rain without seeing a white haired man and other strangers sheltered under some foliage near the campus. 

**~0~**

Masumi Usui didn’t care about much. He could do anything he needed to and could support himself. He was alone most of the time, but it didn’t bother him. People bothered him. 

He spent his days in a loop. Going to school, wandering the streets, then going back home. Repeat. There wasn’t anything he had to do, nor anything he wanted to do. 

This afternoon, he found himself on the walk by the river. The weather was nice, so he walked off the path to sit down on the grass and overlook the running water. He pulled out his phone and chose a soundtrack, pulling on his headphones and settling down. 

His song was interrupted by the sound of his notifications, causing him to click his tongue in annoyance. He grabbed the device and took a look at it. It was a text from an unknown number. 

“ _Heya! It’s Kaz!_ ”

He had no idea who Kaz was. He closed the message, but his phone pinged again. 

“ _rmembr_ _u told me 2 txt u? Lookng 4wrd 2 c ur work!_ ” 

Masumi blinked at the message. He decided to not respond, since it wasn't important to him. Whoever Kaz was, they'd find out that they got the wrong number somehow. It wasn't his problem. 

He dropped the phone and leaned his head back to stare at the sky. The music was low in his ears and he could hear the sounds of people walking the path behind him. He spent an unknown amount of time sitting in the grass; just him, his music, and the sight of the river before him. 

A while later, he heard a voice get closer to him; the sound of something being recited. The voice got closer, so Masumi looked over to his side. Slightly annoyed at being bothered, his hand moved to crank up the volume on his phone. 

A pink haired teen stood on the grass near him, holding a wrinkly booklet and reading loudly. Masumi recognized him. It was the teen he had helped a while back from some useless thugs, although he didn't know his name. 

Masumi stared at him, then spotted the backpack laying in the grass beside him. The bag was unzipped, some of the contents spilling out. He caught sight of a thick cloth that looked like a blanket and a small pillow. He narrowed his eyes. Momentarily he wondered why someone would travel with those things, but dropped it. It didn't matter to him anyways. 

He let out a sigh. 

The pink haired teen noticed him suddenly. "Huh? It's Masumi-kun?" 

Masumi didn't really know how he knew his name. He sighed again under the attention as the teen ran up to him. 

"Do you like coming to the riverside too?" The teen smiled too bright at him. "I like coming here and reading scripts!" He flashed the booklet which was actually a script. 

"...I just walk around," Masumi said, hoping an answer would get him to leave him alone. 

"Oh," he answered, "well it's really nice around here because the air is always light and the water looks nice. It's calming." 

Masumi turned his gaze to the water. The water flowed steadily and the rays of light from the setting sun colored the water in warm colors. He couldn't admit that it wasn't beautiful. "...Okay." 

The teen sighed as he looked out over the water. He shook his head. “Well, it’s getting late… I should get going.” 

Masumi didn’t respond as the teen went to his bag and stuffed the script inside, zipping it up. He gave Masumi a wave. “See you, Masumi-kun!” 

Masumi frowned and sat forward. “Wait.” 

The teen blinked at him. “What is it?” 

“Who are you?” 

The teen stopped. “Oh!” He grinned suddenly, “I forgot to introduce myself, didn’t I? I’m sorry! My name’s Sakuya Sakuma! I’m also a third year at Hanasaki High!” 

So that’s probably how he knew about him. Masumi eyed him. His backpack seemed ready to burst. "Where are you going?" 

Sakuya froze. "Um, uh… p-probably to get some food…" 

"And then?" Masumi pressed. 

"And then? I'll go back… home for the night of course…" Sakuya gripped the straps over his shoulders tightly. 

"Why were you in that alley that other day?" 

Sakuya's face fell. "Those guys, they just cornered me in there…" 

"What do you have in your bag?" Masumi asked another. 

Sakuya stiffened. "Wh-what's with the questions, Masumi-kun? You, you don't need to worry about me." 

"I'm not worried," he retorted. "You're acting strange." 

"Strange?" Sakuya gasped. "I'm so sorry! I don't mean to act this way!" 

Masumi gave him a deadpan. 

"Well then…" Sakuya slowly took a step back, "if that's it, I'll be off…" 

"Do you know where Rinco North Avenue is?" 

"Huh? Isn't that on the opposite end of Veludo Way?" Sakuya clarified. 

Masumi shrugged. "Do you go that way?" 

Sakuya pursed his lips in thought. "Not… really. It's not the way I usually go." 

"Oh," Masumi said. 

Sakuya gave him a smile. "It was nice talking with you, Masumi-kun. Maybe we can chat again." 

Masumi didn't know why he nodded, he just did. Something about Sakuya was throwing Masumi off. "Your number," he blurted. 

"Oh! That's a good idea, we can exchange numbers!" Sakuya smiled, slipping out a phone from his pocket and handing it to Masumi. 

Masumi input his number, and Sakuya sent him a quick message so that Masumi could save it. 

Finally, Sakuya gave his farewell and left. 

There was something odd about Sakuya's behavior that he didn't know about. He'd find out at school, either way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Masumi is my least favorite character so sorry if he's OOC. If I gotta write him, I'm gonna write him how I want to. >> I tried to keep him in some character at least. 
> 
> While thinking about possible situations, I realized that you could basically have Banri run into anyone... since he's good at everything. It's crazy. But, I won't be doing that lol
> 
> Don't forget to send me some pairs you want to see interacting! Tasuku and Tsumugi anyone?? (they are coming ofc!)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of an unformed-Spring-Troupe-members chapter, with Misumi!

Sakyo was in the office room of Hanabira dorms with Matsukawa, Sakoda, and Misumi. 

“What’s the matter, Furuichi-san?” Matsukawa asked. 

Sakyo glanced at the reports of papers that he held. “Nothing’s the matter. But I would like to get some more advertisement out for the dorms. As it is, we don’t have many residents and this place won’t keep itself afloat without people paying.” 

Misumi spun himself in the office chair. “Didn’t Sakoda post flyers already?” 

Sakyo frowned as his voice echoed through the room because of how he was spinning. 

Sakoda stood up and leaned against the back of the chair Misumi was on, preventing the teen from swirling anymore. He grinned at Misumi. “I sure did! But bossman says they were ugly,” he whined. “It got us Minagi, didn’t it?” 

"Yes, but just him isn't enough," Sakyo answered. 

Sakoda pouted, "'S not like I studied design or somethin'." 

"Ah!" Matsukawa gasped, "We should find someone who studied graphic design to make the flyer appealing!" 

"Oh! And we should get them to add lots'a triangles on it!" Misumi included.

Sakyo nodded at Matsukawa, "A good idea. The triangles will be considered." 

"Triangles!" 

"Okay, everyone keep an eye and an ear out for any designers around. I'll work on sorting the information," Sakyo instructed. "That's it. Sakoda, let's go." 

"Yessir!"

Matsukawa turned to Misumi. "So… do you know any designers?" 

Misumi simply shook his head, leaving Matsukawa scratching his head thinking about how to find one for the job. 

**~0~**

Matsukawa opened up the door to the dorms, greeting the newcomer, "Itaru Chigasaki?" 

Itaru Chigasaki nodded, "Thanks for having me." 

"No problem at all! Welcome to Hanabira! I'm Isuke Matsukawa, the manager of the dorms. You can come to me if you need anything!" 

Itaru nodded, "Good to know." 

"I'll give you a quick tour of the dorm, and then you can choose the room you want!" Matsukawa said, and did as such. 

Itaru simply chose one of the rooms on the first floor; it would be easier to get his things into that room. 

He was glad to have found the dorm. The poster was plain and easy to look over, so he was glad that he actually caught sight of it. The dorm had some nice perks, but he guessed the advertising was why it was still empty. 

He had his things packed up the night before, and was just waiting for the moving help to bring the truck over. He left Matsukawa to go off with his own things and waited out by the front of the building. He pulled out his phone on instinct and opened up one of the many games he had to pass time while he waited. It was better to use the stamina while it was regenerating; leaving the bar full irritated him. The game he opened was a co-op battle game, letting him choose another player to go into the battle with. With a scan of the stats of the other players on the offered list, he chose a player named "NEO". 

He stopped and stared down the street while he waited for the player to either show up or not. He'd wait a moment to give them a chance before trying someone else. 

But he didn't need to, as NEO agreed to the co-op and the battle began. With a few taps to the necessary spots on the screen, the battle was soon won. 

"Nice," Itaru muttered under his breath. 

The screen displayed the winning statistics and the bonuses he earned, then asked if he wanted to friend request NEO. He shrugged and said yes. With a player with those stats, it wouldn't be bad to team up more. 

He played more rounds of the game against the side of the dorm. As he played, he heard footsteps approach him. He quickly closed the app and looked up to see a teen walking up to the dorm. 

"Oh hi," the teen stared at Itaru. "Are you the new resident?" 

Itaru nodded while straightening himself up. "Yes. I'm Itaru Chigasaki." 

"Nice to meet you, Chigasaki-san. I'm Tsuzuru Minagi. I stay in room 101." He said as he shook his hand. "Did you choose a room?" 

"Yeah, I'll be taking 103," Itaru answered. "I'm waiting for my things to arrive." 

Tsuzuru nodded, "Ah, that makes sense. Well, let me know if I can do anything to help." 

"Thank you for offering." Itaru answered politely, letting Tsuzuru enter the dorm on his own. 

He seemed nice, but it wasn't as if Itaru was out to make friends. He just worked his day job and played the games he enjoyed in his off time. He was perfectly happy with the routine that his life was in at the moment. And with a new place, things would be better.

Itaru turned his attention back to the street. It was rather empty, although there seemed to spot something lying on the ground at the end of the road. He ignored it, since it wasn't his problem. 

So long as he could live his life of gaming without much bother from the other members, he didn't care. 

And with that thought, the moving truck arrived. 

**~0~**

Misumi hopped into the lounge of the dorm for lunch. He was going to make onigiri and eat quickly so that he could go out again. 

Misumi greeted Tsuzuru who was sitting at the table, eating his own meal of fried rice. 

"Hey, Misumi-san." He watched as Misumi worked. "Are you in a rush for something?" 

Misumi paused for a moment to nod, and continued scooping leftover rice into a bowl. "Yup. Gotta eat lunch real quick! I have to find a designer!" 

"Find a designer?" Tsuzuru repeated. "What for?" 

Misumi spoke while he worked on molding his food, "Sakyo-nii needs a designer to make flyers for the dorm! So I've been designer hunting instead of triangle hunting today!" He pouted slightly. 

"A designer, huh?" Tsuzuru muttered. "Actually, I might know a guy if you want." 

Misumi dropped his spoon, "Really?" 

Tsuzuru nodded. 

"Please!"

Tsuzuru smiled, taking out his phone. "I'll contact him and ask if he's open to it. Then I can send his number to you, if you want?" 

"Yes, thank you, Tsuzuru!"

"No problem, Misumi-san. I'm glad to be able to help!" Tsuzuru said and texted on his phone. 

Misumi went over to Tsuzuru and placed a plate with a few freshly molded onigiri next to the teen. "Onigiri for you because you're helpful!" He smiled and patted Tsuzuru's head. 

Tsuzuru laughed awkwardly. "Thanks… I guess. But I just ate, so you can keep your onigiri." 

Misumi pouted. 

"Uhh…" Tsuzuru recoiled at the reaction of his words. "I mean, I'll eat them at dinner? Since I'm full right now…" 

"Okay!" Misumi smiled. "I'll cover them up in the fridge for you!" 

"Thank you," Tsuzuru replied. He got up to wash his dish. "Did you meet the new dormer by the way? He seems polite." 

Misumi nodded. "I just saw him and said hi! But I didn't talk much because I had to work." 

Tsuzuru hummed, "Well hopefully you're more free now." 

"Yup yup! Thanks to you!" Misumi grinned. "But I have to get back to triangle hunting, more importantly." 

"Right…" Tsuzuru said. "Then, good luck with that. I'm off to my room." 

"Bye bye!" Misumi waved him off. Sakyo-nii wouldn't leave him if he was able to get his work done properly, so he hoped that Tsuzuru's recommendation would work out so that the dorm would be full of life again and that he wouldn't be alone.

**~0~**

Citron sliced another roll of sushi and handed it off to the diner. He wiped down the board and quickly cleaned up his working area. 

He was working at a sushi restaurant that had a bar like style. He hadn't seen anything like it before, so it was a nice experience. He got to see different types of people, and the lighting of the place was dim enough to hide his identity. 

He was able to find employment in the sushi shop near a shopping mall that could pay him enough to survive on his own. Despite his language struggles and lack of skill, the owner of the shop gave him a chance and trained him in the methods of making their dishes. From there, Citron was allowed to shadow one of their chefs and then be allowed to serve customers on his own. 

Most days, he was allowed to take home anything left over from the night. Citron liked to prepare some food for himself on those days. However, one night he had come across a homeless man, and gave the man some of his own food. He’d even told the man to come back so that Citron could share food with him, to which the man agreed. The man had come by for a few days on and off, and Citron enjoyed being able to share. 

At the restaurant, today was a day of the work week, which meant that there would be less visitors than their weekend rush. 

A man in a nice brown suit entered the restaurant and took a seat at Citron's section. He stepped over right away. "Hello consumer! What _soo-she_ is your type?" 

"Um. I'll take the special. No roe on anything."

Citron nodded, gathering his ingredients. "One special! No regret! Rolling up!" 

"No _roe_. Fish eggs." 

Of course Citron already knew what roe was, he just managed to slip up the words sometimes. He held up a spoon from the roe container, showing it to the man. “Yes, yes. No roe for the mister!” he smiled. 

The man flinched at the sight of the red pearls. “Yeah that. Thanks,” the man muttered.

Citron grinned and continued on making the sushi while the man looked through his phone. He finally finished and placed the plate in front of the man. “Here is your meal, mister!” 

“Thank you,” the man said, putting his phone down beside his phone to eat properly. 

Citron smiled and cleaned up his station, eyeing a group of women who entered and took a seat at the other end of his station. 

He greeted the ladies and took their decision of sushi, working on it as their words reached his ears. 

“Hey, Mira, look at that guy over there…” 

“What? What about him?” 

“He’s kind of hot, don’t you think?” 

“Hm, yeah, he is.” 

“Think he’s taken?” 

“Of course he is, Ran, just look at him!” 

“Ugh, you always ruin things, Hime!” 

“Even so, just look at how busy he is on his phone, he’s clearly texting someone.” 

One of the women turned to Citron. “Excuse me, Chef-san?” 

Citron looked up from his work with a smile, “Yes?” 

“Do you think you could ask that guy over there if he’s single or not?” 

“Ran! That’s so creepy!” 

“It’s worth a shot! If you won’t, I will!” 

Citron smiled kindly, “After I finish your food, I will!” 

“Thanks, Chef-san!” 

Citron quietly served the women as they continued chatting, then calmly shuffled back over to the single man. "Would you like refreshment, mister?" 

The man considered it for a moment, then asked for a cola. 

As Citron served the drink, he glanced at him. "Mister, those ladies I was serving…" he cast a side glance over to the group of women, to which the man casually followed from the corner of his eye. "They said you were hot. Would you like a fan?" 

The man choked, and Citron worried if he should have waited for the man to take a sip of his drink before asking. "I… I'm fine, I don't think that's what they meant." He cleared his throat slightly. "Not to brag, but hot means good looking in this case." 

Citron nodded, but his expression read confusion. "But what does the temperature have to do with your looks?" 

The man frowned, "Because it makes you hot and bothered?" He paused, "...You know what, let's stop there." 

"Okay…" Citron said, still looking confused. He moved on, “They also want to know if you are solitary.” 

“Solitary?” The man repeated. “Ah, you mean single.” He let out a breathy laugh. “Tell them I said no. I’m not interested in dating.” 

“Oh!” Citron gasped. “To get a lover you mean? The mister has one?” 

“Uh, no,” the man replied. “I have other things to do than date.” 

As soon he said that, his phone vibrated and displayed a notification. Citron peered over the counter at it. “Is that Covert Dash, Death Strike mobile? The mister is a gamer?” 

The man nodded stiffly, “Yeah. How do you know?” 

“Oh in my country, we are well educated in video games!” 

“Yeah?” the man raised an eyebrow. “Where are you from?” 

Citron shook his head. He wasn’t going to reveal the truth, but he already had a cover for himself, “Little old me? I am from a country light years away! The name is Citron!” 

“I’m Itaru Chigasaki.” 

"It is _spicy_ to meet you, Itaru!" Citron grinned. “Also, Citron plays the game as well! During break time!” 

“Do you?” Itaru blinked. “And, you mean it’s _nice_ to meet you.” 

“Okay,” Citron smiled, taking in the feedback. “What level do you play?” 

Itaru unlocked his phone. “I’m just level 244. You?” 

“I believe I just reached 124!” Citron answered. 

“Nice,” Itaru grinned. “You in a guild? Wanna join mine?” 

“Sure!” Citron replied. “The current guild is not good, many players are inactive.”

Itaru groaned, “That’s the worst. But nah, my guild has some good players. Your level isn’t so bad, so I’ll let you join. Know your player ID? I’ll send a request.” 

Citron shared his code, to which Itaru sent a request. 

“Thank you!” Citron said. “I will see it when I get off!” 

Itaru nodded. “Sounds good. Feel free to send me a join request whenever.” 

“Why yes!” Citron grinned. “We will have much _fright_ together!” 

Itaru paused. “... _Delight_?” 

Citron nodded, “Yes!” 

Itaru said, "Sounds good, Citron." He asked for his bill and paid it quickly. "Thanks for the meal and the chat." 

"Goodbye Itaru! Come again!" Citron waved. 

Itaru shrugged, "Maybe I will." 

Citron smiled as the man exited the dining area. He glanced over to the group of women who were also staring at the back of the man as he left. They probably already figured out the answer to their question due to his retreat, but he figured that he should say so anyways. He smiled and readied himself to explain the answer. 

He would happily cover for someone who showed him kindness despite his clear language struggles. Maybe it wasn't kindness per say, but it was treating Citron fairly, compared to other patrons who gave him unkind looks and some upsetting comments. Pleasant customers like Itaru really made up for the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite thing is being able to stick those street act chats into my story ^^  
> From when I started writing this chapter to when I post this, my views on Citron has dramatically changed... I like him a lot more ^^ Because of the anime and the JP event release XD I guess it's hard to write him without spoilers? Can't wait for year 2 in Eng!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Masumi and Kazunari!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry I didn't post all month long >< May has been rough for me... 
> 
> And I was today years old when I learned the difference between "pique" and "peak&peek" :) Thanks GDrive for finally putting a good spell check system :))

For some reason Masumi couldn’t stop thinking about his encounter with Sakuya. 

There was just something about him that kept him thinking about him. Something about the blankets in his bag was throwing Masumi off. He didn’t know anyone or any reason why someone would travel with a blanket. 

So, on his usual walk to school, where he would listen to music, he decided to leave his headphones around his neck and listen to the world around him as his tune. It was a dull walk after all, nothing of interest occurring; not that he was expecting nor craving anything of the sort to happen. 

His phone buzzed with a new incoming message. He checked it. It was that Kaz guy again. Ever since he started texting him, Masumi tried to ignore him, but eventually got tired of the onslaught of messages and told the person that he wasn’t who he thought he was. Instead of moving on, that person continued to message him, trying to start a conversation. To say that he wasn’t sick of it was an understatement. 

He opened up the message in order to finally block the person, but stopped. They just spammed him a mass of music note based stickers. Masumi sighed and checked out the stickers. They were, admittedly, nice. He quietly hit purchase and sent a sticker with a music note back and closed the app. It blew up a moment later, but Masumi ignored it. 

Halfway through his route to school, he heard snores coming from beside the path he walked. Cautiously, he glanced over behind the hidden parts of the path. He found a man lying in the grass, sleeping. There was a blanket bundled up away from his feet. 

Masumi scowled at the man, becoming irritated. He huffed, then turned away. He didn’t care to deal with some hobo. 

He froze in his steps. A homeless man. Sleeping in the grass with a blanket. Just like how Sakuya had a blanket on him. Did that mean Sakuya was-? 

No, Masumi shook his head, there was no way that could be that case. Surely, the other teen had a place to go home to. Masumi knew he was more fortunate than the average layman, but there weren’t people who were students and completely abandoned by the world. 

Masumi continued on his walk to school. But… the thoughts on Sakuya wouldn’t leave his head. It’s like as soon as he got the clue, he couldn’t drop it. A frown etched onto his face as he continued mulling over it. It didn’t feel right, the more he thought about it. 

He wanted to find out. But how would he? Could he ask Sakuya directly? Or would that draw too much attention? Not that Masumi cared about it, but what would he ask anyways? 

Masumi huffed once again, finally finding himself on the campus premise. He glanced around the other incoming students. Since Sakuya was a year ahead of him, the chances of seeing him were slim. He lowered his head in defeat and went to return to his regular routine. 

A flash of blond caught the side of his eye and he lifted his head to stare. There was that other guy who stalked him, Banri, walking into campus alone. His expression was dull, but he was wearing the school uniform. 

Masumi watched him from where he stood for a moment. What year was he again? He seemed like a third year… and if he was, then there was a chance that he saw Sakuya. 

So, Masumi turned and marched up to him. Banri didn’t notice him until he was a few steps away. He stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at the younger teen. 

“What do you want?” Banri asked when it was clear that Masumi was looking for him. The dirty blond glanced around, then noticing the attention the two were getting from students that were also getting into school. With how popular both Masumi and he himself were, it wasn’t a surprise that the two of them interacting would spark attention. He sighed. “Actually, scratch that. Follow me if you’ve got somethin’ t’say.” 

Masumi’s expression didn’t change, but his irritation did rise as the spectators grew. With glares sent by both teens, the students shrunk back to their regular routines. 

Banri led Masumi to the side of one of the campus buildings. He leaned against the wall and gave Masumi a look. “So? What’d ya want that you had to get all that attention for?” 

Masumi clicked his tongue. He really did act on instinct without thinking things through. 

“Well?” Banri pressed. 

“...Sakuya,” Masumi said. 

“Huh?” 

“You know Sakuya.”

Banri paused. “I guess?” I just met him from that other time but other than that, don’t know ‘im.” 

Masumi pressed his lips together. Well if Banri didn’t know him, then asking him was useless.

“Why?” Banri asked, “What’s someone like you got to do with him?” 

Masumi scowled and turned away. “Forget it, you’re useless.” 

Banri pushed off the wall, “‘Scuse me? You came up to me!” 

Masumi shook his head. 

“Hey,” Banri called out. “Is there something going on with Sakuya?” 

Masumi stopped. “No. I don’t know.” 

And with that he left Banri. After all this, Masumi would just drop it. It was probably nothing anyways. He could go back to living his regular life. 

However for Banri, the simple question piqued his interest. Something was weird about Sakuya? Well, he was going to find out. 

**~0~**

As a design student, Kazunari really looked for opportunities to practice his skills and build his experience. So when his good old pal Tsuzurun contacted him about a need for a designer of his dorm, he agreed. The fact that Tsuzurun himself had requested it was also a key factor in his decision. 

He just met with the client, Sakyo Furuichi, who needed some simple advertisement flyers. That would be super easy to do, and after getting the basic information needed and the theme they wanted, Kazunari was vibrating with designs. 

He stopped by the park, finding an empty bench and sat down to sketch out some of the ideas racing through his mind. 

Minutes later, when he got a bunch of drafts sketched out, he stood and stretched. Taking his phone out, he sent a message to his new DM pal, the one who he had accidentally messaged thinking it was one of his classmates, but wasn’t. It didn’t matter to him, because Kazunari enjoyed texting people. He dubbed the stranger music note, since the music note sticker was the one he sent. He would definitely be trying to get to know this person more. 

The heat of the sun beating down was making him thirsty, so the vending machine was where he went next. A cola seemed like a great idea, so Kazunari purchased the drink and waited for the can to dispense. 

Only… it didn’t. The machine malfunctioned halfway through and didn’t drop the drink where he could fetch it. 

“Aw, come on!” Kazunari cried in frustration. He glanced at the drink sitting in the spot, then at the opening of where the drink should’ve fallen. Perhaps he could reach into the machine and pull it out himself? 

With a look of determination, Kazunari snaked his thin arm into the passage, trying to bend his bones so that he could reach the can. He wiggled his fingers, eyeing the few centimeters of space that he urged them to spontaneously grow. A few seconds later, Kazunari sighed. Yup, it was just too far for him to grab. 

Resigned, he pulled his arm back. It snagged at his elbow. He froze, trying to yank out his joint and rest of his appendage. It didn’t work. His arm was stuck. 

“Oh… oh no,” Kazunari gulped. He looked around. It didn’t look like anyone was near him on the path, so he’d have to call for help from somewhere. Well at a time like this, he knew exactly what to do. 

Luckily he still had his bag over his other shoulder, so with his free arm he reached into it and took out his phone. He opened up his instablam app and went live. 

“Hey everyone! It’s Kazu here!” He winked at the camera. “It’s such a nice day, I went out to the park! But I got a little thirsty and went to the vending machine, but my drink got stuck! So of course I tried reaching into the machine to get it,” he turned his camera to show his fingers that was a mere space away from gripping the can, “but it’s too far!” He wailed, “And now my arm is stuck in the machine! Send help!” 

Kazunari continued narrating into his phone, reading comments concerning his struggle. 

A voice spoke up from behind him, “Ohh, looks like fun! What are you doing?” 

Kazunari turned his head to look at the stranger in a dark blue hoodie. 

“Hey dude!” Kazunari grinned. “You don’t happen to know how to get me out of here without cutting the machine open, do you?” 

The stranger nodded, “Sure!” He stepped forward and knocked on the button board of the machine, then wiggled his hand into the space where Kazunari’s elbow was stuck to open up the flap. “Try now!” 

Kazunari nodded and yanked his arm out successfully. “It worked! Thanks my man!” 

The teen grinned, “No problem!” 

“Ah, but my drink,” Kazunari frowned, staring at the lone can.

“I can help with that too!” The stranger said, moving to the side of the vending machine. He grabbed the top of the machine and pulled it, tilting the whole machine over. 

“Woah man, careful!” Kazunari gasped. 

The drink can slid to the end of the ramp, and the machine vibrated to life again, the bar moving up to dispense the drink and the teen dropped the machine back onto its feet. 

“That was sick!” Kazunari exclaimed. 

“Hehe,” the teen grinned, “this machine does that sometimes! You shouldn’t stick your arm into these machines!” 

Kazunari looked into his phone, “Well there you have it folks! Learn from my mistakes and don’t stick your business where it doesn’t belong! And special thanks to my pal!” He moved around to bring the stranger into the camera view. “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Me? I’m Misumi.” 

“Special thanks to my new pal ‘Sumi! Check with ya’ll later! Peace!” Kazunari ended his livestream, then looked at Misumi. “Thanks for the save, Sumi! I’m Kazunari! You can call me Kaz!” 

“Okay, Kaz!” 

Kazunari glanced at him, “You got an instablam? We should connect!” 

Misumi shook his head. “No…” 

“Oh that sucks,” Kazunari frowned. “You’re super chill, Sumi!” 

“I come to the park a lot though!” Misumi said, “I’m always looking for triangles!” 

“Triangles?” Kazunari blinked. 

“Yup! Aren’t triangles the best? Tri-tri-triangle!” Misumi spun, forming a triangle with his hands. 

“Sweet!” Kazunari grinned. “I’ll draw some special triangles for you!” He pulled out his notebook and turned open a fresh sheet. 

“You draw?” Misumi asked. 

“Yup! I’m a design student at Veludo Arts!” He started drawing a triangle. 

Misumi clapped his hands, “That’s such a nice triangle! Draw Super Mr. Triangle next!” 

Kazunari glanced at him. “Uh, sorry, I don’t know what he looks like. You wanna try?” 

Misumi nodded and took the offered pencil to draw the cute character. 

“He’s super cute, Sumi!” Kazunari complimented. He brought out another pencil to draw another version of his character. 

“Kaz drew Super Mr. Triangle so good!” Misumi cheered. 

Kazunari tore the page out of his notebook, “Here, Sumi, you can have it.” 

“Really?” Misumi asked with wide eyes. 

Kazunari nodded. “Yup!” 

“Wow!” Misumi held up the paper, staring at the triangle drawings. 

Kazunari laughed. 

Misumi looked down at his notebook. “Ooh, what else is Kaz drawing?” 

Kazunari looked down at his sketches. “Oh this! I got a gig to make flyers for this dorm. I’ve been making sketches for now.” 

“Hanabira dorms?” Misumi asked. 

Kazunari nodded, “Yeah, how do you know…?” 

“That’s where I live! And Tsuzuru is the one who told me about you to tell Sakyo-nii!” Misumi said. 

Kazunari gasped. “Woah, that’s freaky how we met then, isn’t it!”

Misumi nodded. 

“Dorms huh? Who knows, maybe I’ll move in, too!” Kazunari suggested with a smile. 

Misumi gasped, “Kaz joining would be fun!” 

Kazunari nodded, “I’ll think about it. But until then, I’ve gotta get this done so that Frooch likes it!” 

“Frooch?” Misumi repeated. 

“Yeah, uh, Furuichi-san,” Kazunari clarified. 

Misumi smiled, “Sakyo-nii is great! He’s gonna love what you make!” 

“Thanks Sumi,” Kazunari said. He stood up, pulling his notebook into his bag again. "Well I'll be heading out now. I've got the ideas that I'm itching to get started on!" 

"Okay!" Misumi said. "I can't wait to see what you make! Put some triangles in too!" 

Kazunari laughed, "I'll do my best for you Sumi!” He waved at Misumi as he turned, “See ya later!" 

Misumi waved back with a smile, taking a close look at the paper with the triangle drawings. He was already off to a good start to his day or triangle hunting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite scene was writing Kazunari getting his arm stuck in a vending machine kjhfsjk lmao
> 
> I was trying to make the Masumi-arc thing a single part but here I am making it longer orz it's going to have like, 2 more parts before I'm happy with it, but we'll be taking a break from that in the next chapter. 
> 
> As more events in Eng server come out I'm thinking if I'm going to add them to expand on the story... Like the new characters from the spring troupe Clockwork event and the summer troupe Pirates event. ><


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumi meets Yuki and he's a great help.

Her visit to Veludo Way somehow roped her into working with a female theater company as an assistant. It’s not as though Izumi minded, she didn’t have plans to do anything else, really. And who knew, maybe working on Veludo would lead her to some clues on her father’s disappearance in some way. 

The company wasn’t that large, but it wasn’t small either, so Izumi was kept on her toes with work. And with all that work, she had a list of concerns that she had collected along with her list of chores and errands to complete. They included calling repairmen for their bathrooms, helping their costume maker, and organizing the training and meeting schedules. 

“Tachibana-san!” It was the assistant to the company’s costume designer. “I need you to go to the fabric shop for me. I have to finish sewing this sequence and it’s taking me too long.” 

Izumi withheld the sigh. The pressure weighing down on her shoulders got a little heavier. “Sure,” she answered. 

“Great, here’s the money and here’s the list.” 

Izumi took the papers and was told the directions, taking off and putting off the other hundreds of things she needed to get done. 

She stared at the list and sighed. “Right…” she muttered to herself. Well, she wasn’t getting paid for nothing. 

**~0~**

Yuki was back at the fabric shop which he frequented the most. While the whole trouble with the jerks at God troupe upset him, he was over it now. It wasn’t like he was going to stop doing his hobbies because some crusty old man told him his dumb old opinion.

He still had designs and patterns he wanted to try out, they’d just be for himself now. 

He paid no attention when someone entered the shop and the attendant greeted them, letting them browse the store. 

It was after Yuki had chosen a fabric to buy for the day when he turned to head to the counter and saw a lady with long brown hair holding a pretty nice leather brown fabric and an atrocious pink. Well, the pink wasn’t too bad, but if it was paired with that brown? No way in hell. 

“Don’t tell me you’re getting those two for one piece,” Yuki commented snidely.

The woman turned to him from her gaze on the shelf. She glanced at the fabrics she held. “Um… yes, I think so?” 

Yuki scowled, “That’s disgusting. That pink doesn’t go with that brown at all. Don’t you know anything about color theory at all?”

The woman actually laughed. “I guess not… I was sent on an errand for some fabric because our designer is busy… do you think you could help me out?” 

Yuki huffed, then said, “What are you looking for?” 

The woman passed him a list. 

There was a list of five fabrics, a few specific to colors and a few to type. 

“Do you know what this is being used for?” Yuki asked. 

She nodded, “Costumes for a princess.”

“Okay,” Yuki said, “Budget?” 

The woman dug into her pocket and checked her notes. “Ten thousand yen.” 

“That’s plenty,” Yuki approved, then moved to the shelf beside her. “I’ll find you what you need.” 

“Thank you so much!” The woman clapped her hands together. “You’re really a life saver! I’m Tachibana Izumi. Nice to meet you.” 

“Rurikawa Yuki,” he answered. 

“Are you a designer?” she asked, watching him browse the aisle. 

“Yes. Unlike yourself.” 

She laughed again. “True. I’m only helping out. I’m more like an errand boy…” she sighed. 

“Well, I’m just a junior high student,” Yuki replied, pulling out a fabric and handing it to her. 

She nodded, “And you have a lot going for you! Just look at how well you’re doing!”

“It’s only in my free time now, not like I have a job or anything.” Yuki inspected another fabric bundle, before discarding it. 

Izumi hummed, “Yeah, I guess so… but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future if you go looking.” 

“Possibly,” Yuki said. He helped choose the fabrics and helped her take it to the counter to check out. He continued to purchase his own fabric after. 

“You know, Yuki,” Izumi said, bag of purchased fabrics in her hands, “maybe you could help out in the troupe that I work for?” 

Yuki frowned, “What?” 

“I could put in a word for you!” Izumi said. “We have a pretty big troupe, and I know our designers would love some help! They’re kinda desperate right now, actually,” she laughed. “So what do you say? Wanna join me?” 

Yuki pursed his lips. After his last rejection, he didn’t really plan on finding another troupe to try to work with. It wasn’t that it was out of the question, it was more like Yuki was more on edge about the idea. He glanced at Izumi out of the corner of his eye. “Will they accept me?” 

Izumi nodded, “Yes! I’m sure they will! Do you have some pictures of something you’ve made?”

“I have a portfolio…” 

“Great!” Izumi smiled, “Let’s go!” 

“What? Right now?” Yuki gawked. 

Izumi nodded, then stopped, “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant now, but if it’s not a good time for you, then…” 

Yuki rolled his eyes. “I don’t have my portfolio on me right now. I have a few pictures on my phone if that’s okay.” 

“Can I see?” Izumi asked. 

Yuki took out his phone and showed her. 

“Wow! These are amazing!” Izumi cried, then grabbed Yuki’s arm. “Come on, let’s get going now! It’s not too far!” 

“Hey!” Yuki gasped, but let up and followed along. 

Izumi led Yuki to the theater that she worked at, taking him inside the troupe building to the costume making section where the designers were busy working. “Excuse me, Sawaya-san?” 

The woman in the center of the room momentarily paused her sewing to glance up at Izumi, then returned back to her piece. “What is it?” 

“I’ve found someone who can help you with costumes while I was out,” Izumi said. 

The assistant that sent Izumi out walked up to her. “And did you get the things I asked for?” 

Izumi nodded, passing the fabrics over. Izumi pulled Yuki over. “This is Yuki. He might look young, but he’s really good--” 

“You’ve brought a child?” Sawaya asked.

Yuki grit his teeth. Being a child, once again. He turned his head away from the woman, looking around the room. One of the assistants was working on a half pieced together dress. It was carefully made, but...

Sawaya continued with a frown, “I don’t have time to be playing around. These costumes need to be done by the end of this week, I--”

“With the stitching that she’s doing, it really does seem like you have time to play,” Yuki commented, pushing into the room. 

“...Excuse me?” Sawaya narrowed her eyes at Yuki. 

Yuki lazily pointed a finger at the half dressed mannequin that the second assistant was working on. “Here, she’s doing a backstitch when a simple running stitch will easily do the job with less time.” 

“What?” The assistant gasped, and the second assistant went to check her work. 

Her scowl turned from the other assistant to Sawaya. “He’s right.” 

“What are you doing, wasting time!” Sawaya cried. “You,” she pointed at Yuki, “come here and finish this.” She stood from her stool. “I’ll take over her work, Nagai, give her another task.” 

Nagai, the second assistant, nodded, giving the other girl another design to work on. 

Izumi carefully backed out of the room, watching Yuki quickly adapt to the situation. He glanced up and met eyes with her. Izumi smiled and gave him a quick goodbye wave. He gave her a small nod and went back to sewing. Izumi stepped out of the room with a smile. She probably wouldn’t be able to see him again today, but she would definitely try to see him another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don't have any other plans for Yuki o.o so uhh if there's someone you want to see with Yuki, leave a comment? I'll probably check up on him later or something idk


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banri comes across Juza on the street, and in another life (aka canon), it would've been a familiar one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha-hi! This chapter is so short was it even worth the wait? probs not LOL ideky i got hung up on this chapter. when was this last updated??? checks date, oH okay. yeah idk what was up with me, i definitely love writing oneshots more... but hopefully i'm back on track with this story for a while again...

It was early evening when Banri finally decided to head home. He had spent his after school hours thrifting, but had not found anything he liked. It was just one of those days. His mood had dropped slightly because of it, so now he just wanted to go home and play some video games. 

There was a crowd of people lined up and entering a building he was passing. He glanced over at it in curiosity. Godza Theater, it said. 

It seemed strange that people were lining up for just a show, but he just ignored it since he wasn’t interested. 

At least, until he caught a spot of purple. He snapped his gaze back to the entrance and saw him. Hyodo Juza walking into the building. 

Banri felt his blood freeze. 

There he was, this was finally his chance! 

Banri ran to the entrance of the theater, shoving his way around the bystanders to get to his target inside. 

“E-Excuse me!” a voice called out once he made it into the lobby.

Banri turned his head at the voice, his gaze actively searching for the purple hair. “What,” he growled. 

It was a short teen, with bright red hair and a side of black. Under Banri’s gaze, he stiffened his posture. “Do you have a ticket to enter the theater?” 

Banri blinked. “No?” 

“Then… then you can’t come in.” the teen said firmly. “We have a full house, so we can’t fit anyone in unless you have a ticket.” 

Banri blinked again. Right. This was a theater. 

“You have to leave… or I have to call security!” the teen called. 

Banri took a step back. “...No need. I’m leaving.” He had reacted on instinct after spotting him, after all. He’d just… wait outside and then confront him. Yeah. 

How long was a theater show anyways?

**~0~**

Banri waited across the street as the sky grew dark. He mindlessly played games on his phone to pass time, but had grown tired of that. Now he sat, drawing patterns on his pants as he waited for some activity from the theater. 

He sighed. Just as he was going to stand to stretch, the doors of the theater opened, guests flooding out. 

Banri leaped up, eyes scanning the crowd. He didn’t see him. 

Banri scowled. How were there so many people in the theater? Where was Hyodo? 

He scoured the area, standing on a nearby bench, pushing through the crowd, and even plain out calling for the other teen. All to no success. 

Banri growled curses under his breath, scuffing the soles of his shoes as he finally walked away from the empty theater. He’d find Hyodo another day, he promised himself, but it didn’t make him any less angry. 

He just let his feet lead him away with no destination in mind. He should go home, but he needed to cool his head first. 

The street lights guided his path to some distant spot. He looked up and around where he was, finally getting his head together. 

And that’s why when he looked up, he froze in his steps. There he was. Hyodo, walking down the street with a pink haired kid. 

Banri’s blood rushed as he ran towards Hyodo. “Hyodo!”

Hyodo turned, his face as emotionless as usual, until he spotted Banri. Banri smirked at the slight look of surprise when he recognized Banri. 

Hyodo narrowly stepped back to block the swing that Banri threw, quickly lifting his hand to block the next one Banri threw in succession. Whatever he was holding splattered to the ground. 

Banri heard a distant “ _ Juchan _ !” but ignored it in favor of throwing another swing at Hyodo. “What’s wrong?” Banri called, “Surprised to see me?” 

Hyodo’s expression dipped further into a scowl. “Damn you,” he grit out as he defended against Banri’s swings. He grabbed Banri’s outstretched arm and twisted it behind him. 

Banri let out a cry as he struggled. “Shit! No!” He could feel Hyodo slowly inching to injury his arm again. 

“ _ What the hell is going on here _ .” 

Banri’s arm froze as his gaze jumped up to a figure approaching from across the street, bright red light from the bar sign illuminating his shape.

An old man with square black frames and dark attire stopped in front of them. “You punks better get the hell out of here or I’ll call the cops on you.” 

Hyodo dropped Banri’s arms and stepped back in an instant. 

"Juchan!" The kid with Hyodo cried softly, stepping up beside him.

Banri sneered at the man, ignoring Hyodo for a moment, “Fuck off, geezer.” He glared back at Hyodo when the teen turned off and walked off. "This isn't over yet, Hyodo!" 

The blond haired man glared at Banri, "It sure as hell is. I better not see you around this place again." 

Banri scoffed his feet on the pavement as he walked away. "Whatever." 

The blond man watched the teens depart in opposite directions. He turned to the bushes with a deep scowl. "Hey. Didn't I tell you not to sleep around here?" 

A man with messy white hair rose from the grass. "...Sorry." 

The blond pressed a hand to his face. "As I've said before, find a different spot to go to. I regularly get this area cleaned, so landscapers frequent these spots. You wouldn't find comfort here. I don't have the vigor to deal with another one like you, but this bar is looking for employers. While your situation will depend on the benefits you receive, we may be able to come to a compromise, depending on --." 

He finally looked up at the odd silence. The white haired man was gone. 

The blond scoffed. "Wasted my breath…" he muttered as he turned back to enter the bar across the street. 

The street silenced once again as the occupants deserted the once highly trafficked street. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so now, you may be asking me, "el, the rookies are out in EN now, are you going to include them?"   
> no.  
> i won't because 1, i haven't read the new acts yet and 2,  
> i'm embarrassed that i didn't finish this already LOL.   
> Anyways, we'll see how the future goes. Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on tumblr @elcall or twitter @elcall21!


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